Cooks - Do you peel eggplant (aubergine) before cooking?

Always peel mine as they usually have a bitter taste.

^^ I salt and drain mine to get rid of the moisture and bitterness but I wonder if the peeling is necessary for that too?

Depends what I’m making. I either completely peel or partially peel.

I figure the good vitamins are in the skin since that’s where the color is. I’ve never actually researched it though. I was hoping it might be similar to blueberries since I hate blueberries.

It depends on the recipe.
For Moussaka, A little skin on the eggplant is good for texture, but leaving it all on makes the it hard to cut later, and can add bitterness, which you don’t want.

When I make Eggplant Parm, I leave the skin on. The slices are fairly thin and it holds together better during the initial fry. Once it is baked after that it renders the skin an acceptable texture and taste to eat.

^^ Sound advice but since I’ve had it with skin on and seen a Greek recipe for moussaka with the skin left on, I’m trying it this way this time. I was lazy. It will go in the freezer but at some point, I’ll update as to how it was.

I’ve never peeled them. I’ve always salted and rinsed them though.

I can’t taste any bitterness to the skin of eggplant, so I just chop it up into acceptable size pieces, and cook it.

I do not peel them, but I do salt and press them for about 15 minutes (and then use a paper towel to absorb the bitter juices). I haven’t found peeling necessary for the recipes I make (usually pasta dishes).

At the Italian restaurant where I cooked decades ago we never peeled them, just sliced then salted and rinsed before breading and frying for eggplant parmesan.

If I peel it does it turn into an aubergine?

Because I will if it makes people think I’m mysterious. I don’t even care if they like eating it, I just want the attention.

Japanese eggplant can be good with the skin left on.

I need a recipie for egg plant Parmesan, please.

I don’t have one, just made mine up. I peel, slice, salt and press the eggplant on paper towel between plates to weigh it down for an hour or two. Other people bread and fry the slices but I just bake them in the oven with olive oil drizzled on them for about 35 minutes or so. Layer them in a casserole with either homemade or jarred spaghetti sauce and layers of mozzarella cheese and some parmesan to taste. Bake covered at 350 for about 35 minutes and then uncover and bake about 10 more minutes. Easy peasy.

Why you squish the egg plant?

@Dutchess_III It gets some of the bitterness and also excess moisture out. A recipe I looked at says just to rinse them and let them drain in a colander but the pressing is the way I’ve always done it.

No, I don’t peel mine.

I eat the skin. It is a magic material. Why?
That deep purple-black color reflects solar energy so it does not get hot from sunlight. If you look at an eggplant through an infrared scope it will appear white!
Try this experiment. On a sunny day place one on the soil or grass, let the temperatures stabilize, and then look at it with a thermal imager. (or use your hands) The eggplant will be cooler than the grass or soil. Amazing!
There are ongoing research programs to develop paint with that property. Imagine a car painted with this magic black paint that stays as cool as a white car. That would reduce air conditioning loads and save a lot of energy.

@LuckyGuy – Very, very cool (no pun). Engineers rule!

We only salt and rinse them. That cuts down on the bitterness. The peel keeps it from turning to mush during cooking.

Eggplant is IN the house!

Do I need to refrigerate it? Doesn’t seem like I need to.

Also, how much salt?

We refrigerate ours just out of habit. The store keeps them on non-refrigerated shelves. As for salt – we cut the eggplant to bite-sized chunks, shake on a thin layer of salt, add water until they are floating, then let it sit for 5 min. before rinsing. The water turns slightly brown.