March 2026: Black Beauty Eggplant

This month’s seed kit features Black Beauty Eggplant! The Black Beauty variety of eggplant is ideal for eggplant parmesan or stuffed eggplant dishes.

Planting Instructions

Culture: Place seeds about 1/2 inch deep with a spacing of two seeds per inch in rows about 12-24 inches apart. Lightly cover the seeds and place the pots or trays by a window with full sunlight. Eggplant needs moist soil to thrive, so keep the soil watered. Eggplants can be sown indoors and transplanted outdoors when they are at least six inches tall, and the weather has warmed to at least 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Row spacing should be 2’. Once you see two sets of leaves sprouting up, thin them out by cutting the weaker of the two down to soil level.

Water: This variety does best in moist soil and full sun. After transplanting outdoors, you should water the Black Beauty eggplants every day to keep the soil moist.

Harvest: Eggplant can be harvested at 74 days. At maturity, the dark purple fruit can become heavy, so it can be helpful to use a post, pole, or other support. When the globes are glossy, you can harvest them by snipping them off the vine.

Culinary Tips: This seed variety is perfect for eggplant parmesan or stuffed eggplant dishes.

Companion Planting: Basil, garlic, dill, marigolds, clover, lettuce

More About Black Beauty Eggplant

The eggplant, Solanum melongena, as it is known in North America and Australia, is indigenous to a broad region, including India, Burma, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and China, though its exact origin is uncertain. Another common name for eggplant is the French word aubergine, whose linguistic roots trace the fruit’s journey from Asia to Europe. Its name evolved linguistically over centuries, transliterated from the Sanskrit vātiṃgaṇa into the Arabic al-bāḏinjān, then into the Catalan albergínia, and finally into French.

The earliest known records indicate that eggplant was domesticated and consumed in China around 50 BCE. However, when it was first introduced to Europe, it was grown primarily as an ornamental plant rather than as a food. Europeans were slow to adopt it as a food due to its close relation to deadly nightshade, a toxic plant in the Solanaceae family. Early ornamental varieties produced smaller, oval-shaped fruit with white skin, giving rise to the name “eggplant.”

Although eggplant is botanically a berry, it is most often used as a vegetable when cooked. The Black Beauty eggplant is a dependable, high-yield variety that produces large, bell-shaped, deep purple fruit that is both low in calories and rich in fiber, antioxidants, and essential minerals, including manganese and potassium. Try eggplant grilled, roasted, fried, or baked, and discover its rich flavor in dishes like baba ganoush, eggplant Parmesan, moussaka, and ratatouille.

Marinated Eggplant

 Serves: 4    Prep time: 45 minutes + 2 or more hours to marinate

Ingredients:

Eggplant:

• 2 large eggplants
• 3 tbs. of olive oil
• ½ tsp. of kosher or sea salt
• ½ tsp. of ground black pepper

Marinade:

• 3 tbs. of olive oil
• 5 tbs. of honey
• 5 tbs. of red wine vinegar
• 3 tbs. of chopped fresh parsley
• 5 tbs. of fresh thyme leaves
• 4 garlic cloves, sliced
• 5 tsp. of salt
• ¾ tsp. of finely chopped Anaheim chili, or to taste

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
2. Cut eggplants into roughly 1/3-inch thick slices and place on a parchment-lined baking tray.
3. Brush with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 30 minutes, or until eggplant slices are soft and golden brown, turning about halfway through the cooking time.
4. Let cool and transfer to a deep baking dish or storage container.
5. Whisk marinade ingredients together and pour over eggplant, allowing some marinade to get in between stacks of slices.
6. Cover, place in refrigerator, and let marinate at least 2 hours. This is great as a snack or served as a side dish!

Craft: Air-Dried Clay Flower Frogs

You’ll Need:

• Air-dry clay
• Rolling pin
• Cookie-cutter or glass
• Straw or pencil
• Paint (optional)
• Polyurethane sealant

 Instructions:

1. Roll out your clay until it is about 1/3 inch thick. Optional: add texture to the clay by gently imprinting lace, leaves, or other designs.
2. Use a glass or cookie-cutter to cut out a shape slightly larger than your vase.
3. Use a straw to poke holes all the way through the clay, spaced out evenly around the shape.
4. Allow clay to dry completely before painting (optional) and spraying with a polyurethane sealant to waterproof.
5. Set the completed frog over your vase or glass and arrange flowers using the holes.