Bademjan (Iranian Eggplant)

Bademjan (eggplants) are used in Iran in a variety of ways, from Dolmeh (stuffed eggplant) to stews like Gheymeh Bademjoon to dishes like Kashke Bademjoon and Mirza Ghasemi.

Variable sizes and shapes of this eggplant are used in different ways: stout and chubby eggplants for stuffing, long and tender eggplants for charring and scraping out for Mirza Ghasemi, and more.

Days to maturity: 70

Seeds per pack: 45-50

Germination rate: 87% on 03/20/2025

Planting / harvesting notes

Sow seeds indoors 8-12 weeks before the last frost and transplant into the garden well after the danger of frost. 1/4 inch deep. Keep seedlings moist but do not overwater. Transplants should be initially watered in well, and plants will be most productive with regular irrigation and full sun.

From Farmer Sama: Eggplants generally prefer hotter growing seasons, and also require warm temperatures to germinate. I sowed seeds in May and I grew them out in 3in pots before transplanting them. There, I spaced them out 16in apart in two rows spaced 10in. The first eggplants were ready to eat at the end of July.

Seed keeping notes

Eggplants are generally self-pollinating, though we isolate different varieties of the same species by 300 feet, in hopes that flying insects will not cross pollinate them unexpectedly. Eggplant seeds are ripe when the fruits get far past their edible stage, and have turned another color, often lighter or brown-er than when ripe. Cut the fruit, scrape out seeds (perhaps through a heavy-duty screen) into a vessel, add a little water (1-2 inches is probably plenty) to your seeds and pulp to keep them from drying out, and allow them to ferment away from direct sunlight. Fermentation is not necessary with eggplants, but it makes seed cleaning a bit easier. Ideally, you will stir the concoction every day for 3-5 days. In the end, add more water to fill the vessel, stir one final time, and allow to settle. Pour off the floating material and then strain the seeds through a strainer. Sometimes, you will need to add more water and pour off the floating material several times until the water is clear and you can see the seeds sunken at the bottom. Squeeze dry the strained seeds in a towel, and then lay out to dry on a labeled screen or paper product in a ventilated place away from direct sunlight for a week or two.

From Farmer Sama: We harvested these fruit in November. We cut up the eggplant into chunks and blended them in a food processor with water. Next, we let the pulp sit in a water bath, which allowed seeds to sink to the bottom of the bowl. The pulp and water were decanted off and the seeds remaining at the bottom were rinsed. We dried the seeds on towels.