Safe from 6 months. Eggplant provides fiber, manganese, folate, and potassium. Its purple skin is rich in nasunin, an antioxidant that supports brain health.
Raw eggplant is firm and spongy with a mild bitterness and a slight astringency that comes from its natural phenolic compounds. Roasting until fully collapsed transforms it into something silky, creamy, and mildly smoky with a gentle savory sweetness and almost no bitterness. It pairs naturally with olive oil, garlic, tomato, lemon, cumin, tahini, and soft herbs like parsley.
Roast until very soft and slightly caramelized. Scoop flesh and mash, or cut peeled, roasted flesh into spears. Texture becomes silky when well-cooked.
Diced roasted eggplant as finger food, or mixed into pasta sauces.
Baba ganoush, ratatouille, grilled, in pasta. Extremely versatile.
Ingredients
Steps
Garden notes
Needs heat to thrive. Harvest when skin is glossy - overripe eggplant is bitter.
Needs the longest warm season - start indoors 8-10 weeks before last frost.
Harvest for baby
Roast until completely collapsed for babies - raw or undercooked eggplant is bitter and tough.
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