This orange, small eggplant looks like a mini pumpkin when ripe and can be grown as an ornamental but it is edible. It is great when smash fried! It’s called pumpkin on a stick because the leaves fall off as the fruit ripens and this makes it appear like it’s on a stick. There are pokey spines around the stem of the fruit, so be mindful of these when harvesting.
Planting/Harvesting Notes
- Plant in full sun with well drained soil
- Plant 18-24 inches apart
- Matures 60 days from transplantation
- Harvest when eggplant turns orange
- Harvest regularly to keep encouraging plant to produce more fruits.
Seed keeping notes
Eggplants are ripe when the fruit is tough and inedible. Usually they are ready when the eggplant has turned another color. When you see this, harvest the fruit, cut it open, scrape out the seeds into a jar. Add a little water to the seeds so they are floating in the jar. Ferment the seeds for about 3-5 days. Once fermentation is done, add more water, shake the jar and allow the seeds to settle at the bottom. Pour off the floating material, strain the seeds, and lay out to dry on a paper plate, baking sheet, or drying screen. Allow to dry completely and then store in a labeled paper envelope.