Comet Purple Hybrid Eggplant Seeds

70 days from setting out transplants.

Purple Comet is the eggplant you've been dreaming of. This Asian variety has far fewer seeds than the traditional teardrop-shaped types. Its brilliant neon-violet skin is quite thin and tender. The flesh is pure white, succulent, and absolutely delicious. Even the extra-large foliage and bright purple blooms are attractive. You can pick Purple Comet young, if you need to, without sacrificing one jot of flavor.

Fewer seeds means less bitterness, and Purple Comet is entirely bitter-free. No soaking, no salting, no puckering at the flavor. These long, slender fruits are packed with white flesh, sweet and meaty. About 10 inches long and 2 inches wide at full maturity, these eggplants are substantial, and the thinner, more delicate skin means less waste and more useable "meat".

Purple Comet can also picked young, as a gourmet baby veggie, without loss of flavor or texture. This means that you can stagger your harvest, picking just what you need without having to worry about bringing in the whole crop at once.

You will love the look of this plant, even before the handsome fruit sets. The foliage is large and tropical-looking, while the blooms are a rich shade of purple and quite large. Then when the ultra-bright eggplants begin growing longer and longer, it's just the icing on the cake.

Begin seeds indoors 8 to 10 weeks before planning to set out. Eggplant is a warm-weather crop, so wait until after danger of frost before transplanting seedlings into the sunny garden or patio container.