eggplant sexing?

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I'm serious here. I was reading that you can tell boy eggplants and girl eggplants apart. Boy eggplants are supposed to have fewer seeds, and rounder bottoms. Girl eggplants are supposed to be seedier and have indented bottoms. Due to the fewer (bitter) seeds in boy eggplants, those are the ones you're supposed to eat. Boy eggplants? Girl eggplants? Did I miss something somewhere?

You can check it out yourself, the book is The Food Lover's Tiptionary by Sharon Tyler Herbst. Gerbil

-- Gerbil (ima_gerbil@hotmail.com), May 09, 2000

Answers

Funny. That's just the opposite to the way we do it.

-- Don Armstrong (darmst@yahoo.com.au), May 09, 2000.

Gerbil, I have to agree. In my experience, boys are seedier, and girls have rounder bottoms! Sorry! Couldn't help myself! Very much LOL! I will check my references, and report back. May I also suggest you contact, and maybe join, the Seed Saver's Exchange! Particulars available right here! Butt (couldn't resist) GL!

-- Brad (homefixer@mix-net.net), May 09, 2000.

Gerbil,

I think that book has something confused here. I don't have any books at hand to double check my recollection but the flowers of eggplants are as I recall supposed to be self-pollinating which means that both pollen and eggs are in the same flowers unlike some plants like squash which have separate male and female flowers. The eggplant fruits themselves, as with any fruit that I know of, have no gender differences. I can double check this tonight once I get home if you like but I think this "seedier/less seedy" thing is a bit cockeyed.

.........Alan.

The Prudent Food Storage FAQ, v3.5

http://www.ProvidenceCo-op.com

-- A.T. Hagan (athagan@netscape.net), May 09, 2000.


Since eggplants are a fruit, and not a flower(if they were, there could be male and females), all the eggplants are the same sex.The shape differences may have to do with growing conditions or varieties,or other factors. If you really want to validate or discredit the eggplant sex thing, why not buy two of each sex, and cut them open and compare them inside?

-- Rebekah (daniel1@transport.com), May 09, 2000.

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