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Snow White & Black Beauty

They’re both varieties of eggplant.  Although both can be delicious in their own ways, it pays to understand their distinction when deciding which to use in a recipe. 

Black Beauty to bee

Black Beauty is the most common eggplant found in the grocery stores. An heirloom variety introduced by Burpee seed company in the early 1930’s, it is more cold tolerant than other varieties with a longer shelf life and larger fruit. Usually dark purple in color with white flesh and a medium amount of seeds depending on size – the bigger it is, the more seeds it has.  True eggplant lovers savor the tangy sharp taste of the black beauty and often pair it with tomatoes and Italian seasonings that help offset the sometimes bitter quality of the fruit. Salting the slices before cooking also helps remove some of its bitterness.  Even though it will continue to ripen after picking, the best black beauty eggplants are picked only when ripe.  Picking too early (when the inside flesh is still green) tends to make the fruit too bitter for the average palette.  

 If you grown your own black beauties wait to harvest until they are 6-8 inches long and glossy black in color.  If they get brown, they are too ripe.

 Perfect for grilling, black beauty eggplants are large enough to slice in cross sections and perfect to stuff and roast.   If you’ve never tried to stuff an eggplant, you owe it to yourself to try.  My favorite low-calorie way to serve this variety is sliced and baked with tomatoes, smothered in fresh oregano and basil and drizzled with just a touch of olive oil and lemon juice.  Layer in a large casserole pan: eggplant on the bottom, tomato slices on top, sprinkle with herbs, salt and pepper and drizzle the olive oil and lemon juice.  Cover and bake 30 minutes at 375 and then uncover and bake 5 minutes more.  Serve!

Of course who doesn’t love fried eggplant!  But here’s an interesting fact for those of you watching your cholesterol.  Eggplant’s unique physical properties absorb more oil than any other vegetable – 4 times more than French fries!  That’s why fried eggplant must be placed on a paper towel when removed from the fryer.  As it cools, the cells will begin releasing the oil onto the paper.

 Snow White eggplants – White eggplants can be traced back to the earliest days of farming civilizations. A cousin of the very first edible variety, these are what give the fruit its name.  Originally white in color and shaped like an egg, the first eggplants were harvested and eaten thousands of years ago across Asia. (There is still a variety called Easter egg.) Over the years other varieties have been discovered, cultivated and crossed to produce the modern, longer versions.  Snow white is one of those heirloom varieties. 

Snow White eggplant

Smaller than the Black Beauty, Snow White usually grows 4-6 inches long and looks just like an albino version of the black beauty.  But that’s where the similarities end.  Creamy white in color both inside and out, this is by far the mildest in flavor.  Virtually seedless it can be cooked with skin on and has no bitter aftertaste.  Like Black Beauty, it can be sautéed, baked, grilled or stuffed but the taste is completely different.  Served as a dip recently, my guests thought I’d made the perfect smoky hummus.  

Snow White eggplant ripens a little bit later than Black Beauty but can be grown with the same requirements: rich soil, even moisture, morning sun and afternoon shade. An average plant will yield 6-12 eggplants in our long growing season. Pick when glossy white before brown streaks appear. Due to mild’s nature, these eggplants can be picked as baby veggies as well and require no salting unless you intend to fry.  My advice, don’t.  They are too delicious to drown in oil.  Instead, dice them skin on and sautee with garlic, onions and tomatoes in extra virgin olive oil, season with herbs like oregano, marjoram or Thai basil and viola! Serve over brown rice, couscous or quinoa.

Or if you’re really daring, try my dip!

Smoky Eggplant Dip

• Grill whole 2-4 eggplant until skin turns black and inside is cooked completely –about 10 minutes. Cool
• Skin or scoop out inside meat and place in a food processor.
• Add 2 cloves minced garlic, ¼ cup of lemon juice, ¼ cup of your favorite hummus.
• Do not add salt!
• Process until well blended.
• Serve with warm pita chips or raw veggies.

Ask your guest to identify the ingredients.