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Montelaro Family Eggplant
  • Montelaro Family Eggplant
  • Montelaro Family Eggplant
  • Montelaro Family Eggplant
  • Montelaro Family Eggplant
Montelaro Family Eggplant

Solanum melongena
$4.50
Description

These seeds were gifted to us from Kerry D. Heafner, an Extension Agent in Louisiana, where these eggplants have been growing since the early 1900s. They were brought over by Sicilian immigrants Carlo Montelaro and Frances Siggio Montelaro. They grew wonderfully for us here in Gainesville, producing loads of small football sized fruits that stay green. Sweet and tender flesh cooks up wonderfully. 

Our Youth Education Director, Jesse says this is her new favorite eggplant, and she's usually a stickler for the Japanese types. The flavor and texture is better than purple eggplants, and it's really buttery and savory. It cooks quickly and the skin is really tender too. 
Product details
  • 30 seeds
  • 70 days to harvest
  • Seeds grown in Working Food gardens at GROW HUB in Gainesville, Florida
How to grow

Eggplants love warm weather and really take off once temperatures are consistently warm. In our north Florida climate, we often wait until March or April to start seedlings, then transplant them outdoors once all threat of frost has passed and it’s consistently warm.

Sow seeds ¼–½ inch deep and transplant seedlings once they are well established. Give plants a final spacing of about 2–3 feet apart to allow plenty of room for their bushy growth and good airflow. They don’t always need staking, but healthy and fruit-laden plants may need a stake for extra support. 

Eggplants will grow best in fertile, healthy soil. Add compost or other organic fertilizers as needed, and keep the soil covered with a thick layer of leafy mulch. Keep plants adequately watered during extended dry periods, especially while they are flowering and producing fruit.
How to save seeds

Saving seed from eggplant is easy, but there’s an important trick: the eggplants you pick for eating are not mature enough for viable seed. Instead, you need to leave fruits on the plant for much longer than you normally would.

Allow your seed-saving fruits to mature fully on the plant until they lose their vibrant purple color and become a faded purple, turning brown or yellowish in color. The exact color change will vary by variety. Mature fruits also tend to become noticeably firmer than the soft, tender eggplants you harvest for eating.

For good genetic diversity, we recommend saving seed from at least 5–20 plants, with more always being better. Saving from a larger number of plants helps maintain genetic diversity and supports healthy, resilient crops over generations.

Once the fruits are fully mature, cut them open and scoop out the seeds. Mature eggplant seeds should be hard and brown. Place the seeds and surrounding material in a bowl of water and let them soak for a few hours. Remove the pulp and other non-seed material, along with any seeds that float—they are often less developed or lower quality. The good, mature seeds should sink to the bottom.

Rinse the seeds thoroughly, then spread them out on a cloth napkin or other breathable surface to dry completely. Once they are thoroughly dry, they are ready to store.

If you’re processing a large harvest for seed, there’s an easier way! Dice the mature eggplants into chunks and place them in a food processor with some water. Use a plastic dough blade and pulse just a few times, just enough to break up the fruit and release the seeds without pulverizing them. Add more water if needed, then separate the seeds from the pulp and floating debris.

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