Bitter Ball is Bitter

[lydamorehouse]

 Back to your regularly scheduled FOOD posts....


Image: the penultimate summer box, plus sun-washed out cat.

In this latest Hmong Farmers' Association box, I got: curly kale (....yay?), arugula (yes!), ten ears of corn, a huge bag of green beans, Thai bird peppers, rhubarb, yard-long beans, and bitter ball eggplants.

Not pictured because already re-homed: four slicing tomatoes.

My family is not a fan of searing heat, so I chopped up the peppers and made them into... jam?  I'm not sure this one worked out as well as previous attempts as, when I last tasted it, it still tried to set my MOUTH ON FIRE. But, my thought is, that perhaps, in this concentrated form that will last for several months, I can cautiously add a bit of heat to things that would benefit from such an addition. If not, well, I mean, it was a fun experiment?

I was stoked to see rhubarb making a return this late in the season. Shawn is trying to decide which of the many rhubarb deserts we will make with it. 

And then, there were these, so MANY of these....

Image: a horrifying amount of yuck in an adorable green pumpkin shape.

No offense to the fine people of Liberia, Ethiopia, and the other African countries that really love bitter ball eggplants, this lily white Midwesterner did not like how bitter the bitter ball eggplants were. If you're curious about this plant, its scientific name is: Solanum aethiopicum ; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solanum_aethiopicum.  I suspect that my biggest issue is that I do not know how to cook these beauties. They are adorable as all get out, but they are very, very, very bitter. They are related to the nightshade (not unlike potatoes and tomatoes), however, this was one time when my body said WHAT IS THIS?? IT TASTES LIKE IT MIGHT KILL US!

It is said that one can eat them raw, so before cooking I tried a tiny bit.

Image: Interior shot of death, incarnate.

I will admit that I never found a particularly good recipe to try online, so I tried to simply add them to a stir fry. I think I was so fooled, thanks to my amazing luck with the Thai eggplants that look somewhat like this but are larger and HONESTLY DELICIOUS. Do not accidentally buy these little f*ckers.  I ate the dish as my friends naomikritzer and pegkerr can attest, but, wow, I do not know what I'm going to do with the rest of them. 

There is probably some trick to making them less bitter...  or perhaps it's an acquired taste, like coffee?

Speaking of coffee, my coffeemaker broke the other morning and I ordered a replacement. It hasn't come yet, so I've been getting along on tea. I swear to god this morning, however, all my neighbors helped me survive by brewing the strongest smelling coffee ever. When I took the compost out to the pile, I stood for a while just inhaling the scent of darkly roasted coffee like the addict that I am.

Comments

[sabotabby]

I don't think I've had those but are they like bitter melon? Because that's one of the few fruits I dislike.

[lydamorehouse]

I, meanwhile, have never had bitter melon, so I can't say!

[spiderplanet]

Hot pepper jam over cream cheese, microwaved, with crackers for scooping is an easy crowd pleaser. If the world ever has parties again, you'll be all set.

[lydamorehouse]

I will indeed!

I actually used some tonight in our potstickers. Not bad!

[kore]

Ooh, that sounds delish. Maybe also with a really soft sweet cheese, or sour cream.

Bitter?

[lsanderson]

Imagine: In Thailand, there is a pea eggplant, which oddly enough, looks like a green pea, that makes your puny bitter Thai eggplant taste like sugar itself.

Re: Bitter?

[lydamorehouse]

This is NOT the Thai eggplant, though. This is something called bitter ball. And, I'm sure there are many more bitter things!!

Re: Bitter?

[lsanderson]

Salting eggplant is the time-honored method for extracting some of the bitter juice. You then have to get the salt and bitter juice off. I always ended up with salty eggplant -- go figure.

[pameladean]

YIKES to the bitter ball eggplants.

I wonder if they would be all right as, or in, a condiment, a chutney or pickle or relish, whatever, where you just want a touch of that kind of flavor.

I'm grateful to have been warned that they exist. Especially when the amazingly yummy small round Thai eggplants also exist.

What if you mixed them together? Nah, probably a waste of the good eggplants. But I'd be tempted to try.

P.

[lydamorehouse]

I would consider mixing them, but I ate all the insanely yummy Thai eggplants already! :-)

And, I'm sure there is something I can do with them. If not, there is a little free pantry just down the road from us and someone might be really excited to find the taste of home (but I will print a big warning label.)

[sraun]

I remember the bitter balls. I did something with them that made them turn out acceptably bitter.

Have you found this? https://www.african-recipes-secrets.com/togbogee.html

I think it was the 'boil in salted water' that did it?

[lydamorehouse]

Mmmm, okay, I will try that!

[kore]

I am sad for your taste buds, but admire your gastronomical fortitude and "interior shot of death, incarnate" makes me crack up! I was a picky eater as a kid (mostly due to texture issues/intense taste), altho I'm better now, and omfg I probably would have spat that mouthful over the state line.

[lydamorehouse]

Haha! Yes, I think you would have!

I used to be moderately picky, but I have since decided (with some exceptions) that if it is edible by humans anywhere, I will try it.