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"I&amp;#039;ve heard that some eggplants can be bitter. Is there any way to tell before buying or cooking one? One of my favorite theories about bitter eggplants \u2014 even if it&amp;#039;s not true \u2014 is that a &amp;quot;female&amp;quot; eggplant has a lot of seeds and should be avoided. There&amp;#039;s no such thing as a &amp;quot;female&amp;quot; eggplant; the ones with wrinkled, flabby skin are usually bitter. Select eggplants that are relatively heavy for their size, with skins that are smooth, taut, and shiny. Tan patches, scars, or bruises on the skin are signs of decay underneath. When you press an eggplant with your thumb, it should feel firm and bounce back. The fuzzy caps and stems should be green and free of decay and mold. Because eggplants are so highly perishable, I recommend that you buy them no more than a day in advance and store them in a plastic bag in a cool place (about 50 degrees F). If you want to be 100 percent sure you&amp;#039;ve got an unbitter eggplant before committing an entire one to your favorite eggplant Parmesan, precook a small piece in a skillet or microwave and taste for bitterness. Want to learn more about how to prepare and dehydrate eggplant? Take a look at this video for easy how-to tips.      "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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