If you are used to peeling eggplant before eating it, you may sometimes wonder, “can you eat eggplant skin?” The answer to this question is yes–but will you want to? Join us as we tackle the topic of edible eggplant skin as well as cover how you can select the right eggplant for the best-tasting skin.
Table of Contents
- Can You Eat Eggplant Skin and Seeds?
- Eggplant Skin Nutrition
- Is Eggplant Skin Bad For You?
- Can You Eat Raw Eggplant Skin?
- What to Do With Eggplant Skin?
- Can You Eat the Skin of Purple Eggplant? You Can and Should!
- FAQs
Can You Eat Eggplant Skin and Seeds?
Can you eat eggplant skin and seeds baked? Why yes, you can!
Eating the skin and seed of eggplant is not only doable but encouraged. Like with many fruits and vegetables, the benefit of consuming the skin along with the flesh is nutrition. Much of the fiber and nutrients found in fruits and veggies come from the skin. And though the skin is often something that we tend to treat as an inconvenience when enjoying these wholesome edibles, the truth is that we are essentially throwing away major benefits to our overall health when we do so!
Eggplant Skin Nutrition
Is eggplant skin good for you? It’s not good for you; it’s amazing!
Eating eggplant skin is highly nutritious. Eggplant skin has a gorgeous deep purple hue. Colorful fruit and veggie skins are usually indicative of vitamin content. That’s certainly true of eggplant skin. It is packed with nasunin which is an antioxidant proven to put a halt to neuroinflammation and potentially promote memory loss.
On top of this, eggplant has been shown to heal dry skin, promote better bone density, encourage hair growth, and prevent signs of aging.
Eating eggplant and eggplant skin also leads to:
- Balance Blood Sugar Levels
- Lower Blood Pressure
- Promote Weight Loss
- Boost Heart Health
Is Eggplant Skin Bad For You?
Eggplant skin isn’t at all bad for you. In fact, as you know by now, eggplant skin is highly nutritive.
There are, however, times when you’ll want to take caution, specifically when it comes to eating eggplant leaves. Although the skin on the eggplant is fit for consumption, the leaves attached to the eggplant are toxic.
Therefore, be sure never to cook or ingest the leaves as you prepare your eggplant.
Can You Eat Raw Eggplant Skin?
As you can see, eating eggplant with the skin on can be very good for your health. The entire eggplant, minus the leaves and flowers, can be consumed either cooked or raw.
As a word of advice, we do recommend cooking your eggplant as it may taste bitter and unpleasant when uncooked.
Also, we suggest that if you choose to cook and eat the skin of the eggplant you pick an eggplant that is smaller in size. Smaller and younger eggplant fruits tend to have thinner skins that aren’t as tough and easier to eat. Still, if you’d prefer to purchase a bigger eggplant you may; eating the skin of a larger eggplant fruit will not damage your health.
In addition to purple eggplant, you may have questions about the safety of other eggplant types. Here is a bit of information on some other varieties of eggplant you may not have heard of and whether or not their skin is also safe to consume.
Can You Eat the Skin on White Eggplant?
Just like their purple counterparts, white eggplant skin can be eaten.
Just be sure to wash it with water and a gentle scrub before doing so – but this applies to all eggplant varieties, and not just the white!
Can You Eat Skin of Chinese Eggplant?
You certainly can. Chinese varieties of eggplant are delicious because they tend to contain fewer seeds, and as a result, taste less bitter. They are entirely edible, including the skin, except, of course, their leaves and flowers.
Can You Eat the Skin of a Black Eggplant?
Black beauty eggplants are heirlooms that date back to the 1900s. These eggplants are known for their deep onyx-colored skin, and yes, the skin is safe for eating.
Can You Eat the Skin of Baby Eggplant?
Not only can you eat the skin of baby eggplant, but we highly suggest it.
All eggplant skins are supremely nutritious, but the reason that baby eggplant stands out is that it is more pleasant to chew. Typical eggplant skin is tough and can be difficult to sink your teeth into. Baby eggplant skin has more give, making it more enjoyable to eat–especially once cooked!
Can You Eat Japanese Eggplant Skin Raw?
Yes, you can eat Japanese eggplant skin raw, but you may not like it.
Eggplant skin of any variety tends to be bitter when eaten raw. Still, one advantage of Japanese eggplant is that, like baby eggplants, the skin is much thinner.
Therefore, Japanese eggplants are often sought after as they don’t need to be peeled before cooking to avoid overly firm skins. They are enjoyable just as they are!
Can You Eat Roasted Eggplant Skin?
Can you eat cooked eggplant skin? You sure can.
To roast your eggplant, simply cut it in half lengthwise, swipe a bit of olive oil on the exposed flesh, sprinkle on a little salt, and place under your broiler (cut side down) for 20-30 minutes.
Note: Your roasted eggplant skin may appear a bit overdone, but this is necessary to get your eggplant flesh cooked through. You can enjoy the entire eggplant, skin and all, this way–just be sure not to roast the flowers or leaves!
What to Do With Eggplant Skin?
There are several things you can do with eggplant skin to use them up.
Toss them in with other veggie scraps to make a nourishing vegetable broth. You can also pickle the skins using olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and a few other ingredients. Lastly, you can turn the skin into chips.
Whatever you decide to do with them, you can be sure they’re going to give you a healthy dose of nutrients. So, they’re certainly worth hanging on to if you can!
Can You Eat the Skin of Purple Eggplant? You Can and Should!
If you started this article wondering, “can you eat eggplant with skin on?” you probably know by now that the answer is an emphatic yes!
Eggplant skin is not only perfectly safe to consume but can be very healthy for you as well. Eggplant skin can contribute to combating memory loss and can help fight against neuroinflammation.
Other benefits of eating eggplant include lowered blood pressure, better bone density, more moisturized skin, and so much more.
So the next time you’re tempted to peel away the rind of your eggplant, think twice… eggplant skins pack a nutritive punch you won’t want to miss out on!
FAQs
Can you eat eggplant when the skin is brown and soft?
Sometimes eggplants have brownish spots around the seeds. This is normal and perfectly safe. If, however, most of the flesh or exterior of the eggplant has turned brown, you may be dealing with a spoiled eggplant. We’d recommend tossing the eggplant and opting for a fresher one instead.
Can eggplant skin be eaten raw?
You can eat eggplant skin raw but it may not taste as good as you’d hope. Nevertheless, eggplant skin is still safe to consume. Be sure to do your research when eating other vegetables raw, such as green beans and sweet potatoes, as not every vegetable is safe to consume in its raw form.
