When you first slice into a fresh eggplant, you imagine being greeted by a creamy white interior. What you most likely aren’t expecting is a greenish hue, like what you might see on the peel of an under-ripe banana.
This can happen for a few different reasons. We’ll teach you about the reasons why your eggplant is green inside in this post.
Quick Answer: Why is My Eggplant Green Inside?
There isn’t one short answer behind why your eggplant is green. Instead, there are a handful of factors that contribute to the color: the type of eggplant you have, sunburn, over ripeness, and a natural level of greenness just present in the color, anyway.
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Top Causes for a Green Eggplant Insides
They’re naturally supposed to have a green tint.
By nature, a perfectly ripe eggplant will have a slight greenish hue to its flesh. We’re not saying it should be completely green, but if all you’re seeing is a little hint of it…it’s likely just the normal coloration, and there isn’t anything you need to do.
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It could be getting overripe.
The longer your eggplant hangs on the vine, the greener it will become. You need to know when to harvest it, otherwise you’ll get something that tastes a bit disappointing and bitter.
So when is the perfect time to pick it from the vine? You can usually tell with nothing more than a quick look.
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A perfectly ripe eggplant will have glossy, taught skin. You can poke it to confirm this. If it’s overripe, your finger will leave a divot, and if it’s at the correct maturity, the skin will bounce back.
This doesn’t apply to just growing in your own garden, though. When you’re at the grocery store, you can check the same thing.
If you pick an eggplant from the shelf and it feels soft or the skin is wrinkled, put it right back. You can find a better one than that.
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Some eggplant varieties are green already.
Believe it or not, there are some eggplants that are meant to grow green. Green goddess, Kermit, and green apple are examples of specific types of eggplant that are naturally emerald in color.
If you’re growing an eggplant in your garden, and notice they’re all green, check the type of seed you have. There’s a possibility you picked up a different type from what you may have expected.
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It could have been sunburnt.
Not everyone know this, but plants can get sunburnt just like we can. It doesn’t look exactly the same as it does with people (there’s no peeling or flaky skin!), but it does have adverse effects on your garden.
One thing that can happen to a sunscalded eggplant is its flesh will be a little green. To prevent this from happening, you’ll need to do some research on the specific variety of eggplant you’re growing and determine how much sunlight it needs.
If you’ve figured out that your eggplant is getting too much sun, consider purchasing a shade cloth to protect your garden.
Can You Eat the Eggplant if it’s Green Inside?
If you’re concerned about whether or not a green eggplant is safe to eat, that depends entirely on the reason for the greenness. For the majority of the reasons we described previously, your eggplant will be safe for eating.
However, for a couple of the reasons we mentioned, it might not taste very good. If it’s overripe, you may want to avoid bringing it into your kitchen, because it will be pretty bitter.
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Wrap Up
Eggplants can be a bit of a finicky food. It needs a specific amount of water and sunlight. Beyond that, it needs to be planted at the ideal time.
And sometimes, when any of these factors are altered, you’ll see changes in the color that seem inexplicable. If your eggplant is green, it might be because of the type you’ve picked, it’s overripe, it’s sunburnt, or you’re just seeing the slight greenish tint that’s normal to eggplant in general.
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Hey, I’m Joey. I’ve been cooking since I was a little kid and love everything about it. You can find my writing about food, kitchen appliances (such as blenders) and much more. Thanks for stopping by!
