Days to Maturity: 55 from transplant
All-America Selections (AAS) Winner 2008
A breeding breakthrough extraordinaire. Hansel is the first eggplant that lets you choose when you want to harvest it. The glossy, dark purple, mild sweet fruits are ready at 2 inches, yet keep their tender texture and rich flavor as they grow, so you can harvest them at any time up to about 10 inches or so. At last, no more armloads of eggplants going to the neighbors or to church because you just can't eat any more. No more guilt over wasted food or last-minute eggplant feasts to get rid of all the fruit before it goes bad.
The 55-day harvest time is when you can pick the fruit at 2 inches for baby eggplants, a gourmet treat. But several weeks later, as it gets bigger and bigger on the vine, these long, slender eggplants will still be just as delicious. Nearly seedless, they are great for frying or baking.
Expect the fruit to arise in clusters of 3 to 6 on very compact plants just 3 feet high and 2½ feet wide. Stake or cage them to hold up their huge bounty of fruit, then sit back and enjoy eggplant fresh from the garden whenever you like . . . not when nature dictates.
Hansel won an All-America Selection and is certain to become the popular favorite among eggplant lovers everywhere. Be the first in your neighborhood to sample this delectable and patient new variety.
