How to Reduce the Bitterness of Eggplants

Eggplants have quite a bitter taste that can cause some people to avoid cooking with them or eating them. This article provides some simple solutions to ensure a less bitter eggplant.

Steps

1
Slice or dice the eggplant as required for your recipe.^{[1]
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2
Sprinkle salt over the slices or diced pieces.^{[2]
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3
Leave to sit for half an hour with the salt on the flesh.
4
Remove the salt by washing it off once you are ready to cook with the eggplant after the half hour is up.
5
Consider avoiding the bitterness by buying younger, smaller eggplants. When the pips are the same colour as the flesh, the eggplant is not bitter. As soon as the seeds are brown, however, the bitterness will have set in.^{[3]
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Community Q&A

Question

I cooked the eggplant and made the recipe, but the eggplant has a bitter taste. What's the fix?

Community Answer

Did you peel the skin off? The skin is bitter. If you want to leave the skin on, sprinkle a little sugar on the slices. Make sure when you cut the slices that you salt them on both sides and leave them on a couple sheets of paper towels to get the water out of them. There's no fix once the recipe is made, except perhaps to use more sauce or whatever to cover up the bitterness.
Question

Is it better to soak eggplant in milk or water with salt to remove the bitterness?

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Community Answer

Of these two options, salted water would work better, but it would also make the eggplant soggy, which you may not like. It's best to toss it with salt, let it sit, quickly rinse it with cool water and then pat dry with paper towels.
Question

Can I bowl the eggplant whole and then peel it?

Community Answer

Roast the eggplant because additional layers of flavor will be added by doing so. You could boil it, but it would not be easy to peel after.