Like apples, cut eggplant will begin to turn brown shortly after being exposed to the air. While this initial discoloration will not affect the taste of the eggplant, it can look unappetizing.
Is it safe to eat eggplant that is brown?
If your eggplant has turned brown because of enzymatic browning, it’s still perfectly safe to eat. The way you can tell this is the cause is if the eggplant only started to discolor after you cut into it. It’s gone bad.
How to prevent eggplant from turning black when cut?
To prevent this from happening, prepare a bowl of water in advance prior to cutting eggplant. Then add a tablespoonful of milk to it. Add the freshly cut eggplant to this and it will not blacken.
Food writer Petrina Verma Sarkar is a native of India with extensive knowledge of the country’s regional cuisines. Freshly-cut eggplant, when exposed to the air, quickly oxidizes and turns black, kind of the way an apple goes brown after it is cut and exposed to air. Black eggplant can ruin the appearance of a dish .
How to tell if eggplant is bad?
However, if you’re seeing large patches of brown or the entire inside is brown, then that’s a good sign you need to toss the eggplant. There are some other external qualities that help you determine if an eggplant has gone bad before you even cut into it .
Does eggplant go bad in the fridge?
An eggplant can keep for a couple of weeks in your refrigerator, but tends to oxidize and go bad very quickly once its protective purple skin is punctured. Like apples, cut eggplant will begin to turn brown shortly after being exposed to the air .
Do you remove the skin from eggplant when cooking?
If cooking whole, the skin can be removed after cooking. The flesh of the eggplant browns quickly when exposed to air so once it is cut it should be treated with lemon juice to help minimize browning.