Growing aubergines: warmth, patience and the right time to harvest
Like tomatoes and peppers, aubergines belong to the nightshade family – and they are particularly fond of warmth. Give them a sunny, sheltered spot and you will be rewarded with glossy fruit in late summer.
Starting and planting
- Start indoors: Aubergines are raised on the windowsill or in a heated greenhouse, as the outdoor season would otherwise be too short
- Planting out: Only when frosts are no longer a risk and the nights are mild – cold slows growth considerably
- Location: Greenhouse, polytunnel or a sunny, sheltered south-facing wall; a large pot on the balcony works too
Care
- Watering: Keep evenly moist, avoid waterlogging
- Support: The heavy fruit pulls the shoots down – a stake helps
- Nutrients: Aubergines are heavy feeders and appreciate soil well supplied with compost
Harvest
An aubergine is ripe when the skin is smooth and glossy and gives slightly to gentle finger pressure. Fresh fruit has white seeds; brown seeds indicate overripe fruit (BZfE).
Solanine: Ripe aubergines are not toxic, raw or cooked. Unripe fruit, however, can contain solanine in greenish areas and at the stem end (BZfE, 30 May 2025). So cut away greenish spots and the stem end generously. Aubergines continue to ripen after picking, and the solanine content decreases as they do.
Storing and using
Aubergines are sensitive to cold and do not belong in the fridge but in a cool spot at room temperature (BZfE (German Federal Centre for Nutrition), "Richtig lagern" (as of 20 Feb 2025)). They are delicious grilled, braised, roasted or as a purée.
Sources
- German Federal Centre for Nutrition (BZfE): Alkaloide in Kartoffeln, Auberginen und Tomaten, as of 30 May 2025, accessed 5 Oct 2026
- German Federal Centre for Nutrition (BZfE): Aubergine für die Sommerküche, as of 26 Jul 2023, accessed 5 Oct 2026
- German Federal Centre for Nutrition (BZfE): Richtig lagern, as of 20 Feb 2025, accessed 5 Oct 2026
The sources support individual statements in this article. The organisations named have neither reviewed nor endorsed it.