Questions & Answers - White Eggplant
What is a White Eggplant?

Question:

Hello I am currently growing eggplants in my garden and two of my plants are producing white eggplants.  Do you have any information that you can share with me regarding the history of white eggplant?  Thank you (7/4/01)

Answers:

There are two types of white eggplants commonly found in vegetable gardens:

• The plant of the ornamental white eggplant (S. ovigerum Dun.) closely resembles the plant of ordinary culinary eggplant (S. melongena L.).
   
• Melongena includes edible varieties of eggplant having white fruit, such as `Albino' and `White Beauty.'

Eggplants got their name because eggplants used to come in only one color - white. Hanging from the plant, they looked like eggs.

The original white eggplant is now very trendy. It is generally smaller than the purple variety, and a lot of people say it's more tender. White eggplants are also smaller and more firmly textured than the common purple eggplant. They are denser, creamier and less bitter, even though they can have more seeds. The skin of a white eggplant is tougher than purple eggplant and must be peeled. White eggplants are available seasonally.

Additional Eggplant Information:

Eggplant
Eggplant Equivalent
Freezing Eggplant