this post was submitted on 16 Apr 2025
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[–] Mr_Dr_Oink@lemmy.world 7 points 1 day ago

Those are tarantula eggs 😜

[–] sga@lemmings.world 27 points 1 day ago (1 children)

eating eggplant for years, it is fine - a general rule of thumb - if if looks good, smells good, doesnt seem wierd to touch, and does not taste bad, it is probably good (does not apply to wild berries/leaves/mushrooms).

[–] x4740N@lemm.ee 6 points 1 day ago (1 children)
[–] sga@lemmings.world 5 points 1 day ago (1 children)

if it is fresh then most likely not, i have had very fresh eggplants (3-4 hrs after getting from field) and it had spots. I am not sure, but i think it is fine, but if it is old, then your hypothesis can not be ruled out easily

[–] x4740N@lemm.ee 5 points 1 day ago

That eggplant doesn't look fresh to me either, it looks old

[–] deegeese@sopuli.xyz 90 points 2 days ago (1 children)

They’re water carrying vessels which oxidized when cut, like an apple turning brown.

[–] unexposedhazard@discuss.tchncs.de 11 points 2 days ago (1 children)

The perspective doesnt make it look like there is a cut there, but the image is just not the best.

[–] ComfortableRaspberry@feddit.org 21 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I mean, if it was still intact we wouldn't be able to see the inside. Or am I not getting something? (No offense, I'm often not sure if I'm stupid :D)

[–] unexposedhazard@discuss.tchncs.de 7 points 1 day ago (1 children)

The surface to the right has been cut, but the surface to the front (which has the dots), looks like it has been broken apart from the rest of the plant by force not cut with a knife. So why are these black dots only in that small area and not everywhere on the front facing surface? Something about the area i marked is different from the rest.

[–] ComfortableRaspberry@feddit.org 7 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Aaah, I assumed it makes no difference whether it was broken or cut. A bit like apples that turn brown over time of you don't pour lemon juice on it.

[–] unexposedhazard@discuss.tchncs.de 3 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

If it "breaks" it might not actually sever the strands of the material, and behave more like wood splitting along its length. Also if it was oxidation then the whole cut surface on the right should be completely black.

[–] baggachipz@sh.itjust.works 22 points 1 day ago (2 children)

That’s toxic and you shouldn’t eat it! Specifically because it’s eggplant.

[–] sxan@midwest.social 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

My wife hates eggplant with a passion. I don't get it.

[–] baggachipz@sh.itjust.works 5 points 1 day ago (1 children)

She’s correct, because it tastes and chews like carpet padding. And before you say “you’re cooking it wrong”, I’ve had it at restaurants, and cooked it myself several times. Awful stuff.

[–] sxan@midwest.social 1 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

I've only ever had it as a dish from a "Chinese" restaurant in the mall. They used to make a mush the consistency of mashed sweet potato, and it was very sweet, but eggplant. I could eat buckets of that stuff. I've never had it cooked in a way where it wasn't rendered into a mush.

Mmmmm.

[–] sxan@midwest.social 2 points 8 hours ago

She says that's the most accurate description she's ever heard.

[–] x4740N@lemm.ee 3 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Pretty sure eggplants are from the nightshade family for anyone who doesn't know

Nightshade family flowers are poisonous

[–] baggachipz@sh.itjust.works 3 points 1 day ago

That’s correct, you’re taunting death when you eat it. It tries to warn you with its disgusting taste and texture.

[–] XIX@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

So are tomatoes, potatoes, and peppers.

[–] Bunnylux@lemmy.world 45 points 2 days ago (2 children)

That's just how eggplant looks. Source: ex-vegan chef

[–] jabathekek@sopuli.xyz 25 points 2 days ago (2 children)
[–] Dogs_cant_look_up@lemmy.world 27 points 2 days ago (3 children)

They could still be a chef but no longer a vegan.

[–] x4740N@lemm.ee 3 points 1 day ago

They could've never been νеɡаո in the first place if it was just a job

[–] victorz@lemmy.world 11 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Or still a vegan just not a chef that cooks vegan food.

[–] Bunnylux@lemmy.world 12 points 1 day ago

I'm not either anymore, still vegetarian tho

[–] Flagstaff@programming.dev 5 points 2 days ago

That's how I interpreted it, yeah.

[–] Bunnylux@lemmy.world 7 points 1 day ago
[–] lennybird@lemmy.world 8 points 2 days ago (3 children)

Tell me the secret to buffalo flavoring for fried tofu! I've got the crisp coating down pretty well using either potato or corn starch but I'm missing some sort of almost smoky-peppery flavoring that is so textbook of, say, Tyson chicken strips or something. I feel I've stumbled across it once or twice but never actually isolated the spice.

Obviously I've dumped tons of garlic, onion powder, black pepper, cayenne powder, and no amount of frank's does the trick lol.

Second to that I'm trying to remake an Americanized Korean Hot sauce I had before that is definitely one part frank's and I think gochugang but again, missing something else.

[–] TheAlbatross@lemmy.blahaj.zone 6 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Try some smoked paprika or liquid smoke.

Liquid smoke kicks ass and I use it all the time when prepping vegan dishes. I'm not sure the exact flavor you're trying to recreate, but liquid smoke is a staple in my kitchen for helping boost vegan dishes that imitate meat. You can also try frying curry leaves in the oil you use before frying the tofu. That flavor isn't quite right when you use it in the proportions one would normally use curry leaves, but a few infused into the fry oil will get ya something subtle and interesting.

[–] lennybird@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

Thanks, I'll definitely be trying liquid smoke next! I really should start messing around with curry seasoning more. I might also try to find aged cayenne pepper to see if that makes any difference, too.

[–] expr@programming.dev 5 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

I'm no chef but.. smoked paprika? Sounds like it could fit the bill, maybe.

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[–] Tikiporch@lemmy.world 4 points 2 days ago

Liquid smoke? Start with ml amounts.

[–] x4740N@lemm.ee 3 points 1 day ago

If in doubt chuck it

I've never seen this on any eggplant I've cut in my life

Also that eggplant looks old and not fresh

That looks like the kind of mold that gives you headaches if ingested into your digestive system

I've also just had a look on google

No eggplant looks like your image and looks more like I expect to see based on all the eggplants I've cut

I doubt the other answers not saying its mold

[–] TheAlbatross@lemmy.blahaj.zone 42 points 2 days ago (2 children)

... those the seeds innit?

[–] x4740N@lemm.ee 3 points 1 day ago

Nope, just had a look on Google and they don't look like eggplant seeds

This looks like black mold to me

[–] Chozo@fedia.io 27 points 2 days ago (2 children)

A Google Image search for eggplant seeds shows something much larger than what OP's talking about.

[–] LibertyLizard@slrpnk.net 29 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Probably didn’t develop fully yet. Eggplants are picked before they fully ripen. They could also be aborted seeds that will never grow too.

[–] Fiivemacs@lemmy.ca 18 points 2 days ago

This. Eggplant seeds are growing. Not fully developed yet.

[–] Chozo@fedia.io 4 points 2 days ago

Huh, TIL. Thanks!

[–] Rednax@lemmy.world 8 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Here are some places where people had the same question, and the answer was seeds every time:

https://www.reddit.com/r/whatisthisthing/comments/g5fb9v/when_i_cut_open_my_eggplants_that_have_been_in/

https://www.reddit.com/r/AskCulinary/comments/w2ccxb/what_are_these_tiny_black_seeds_in_my_eggplant/

https://www.reddit.com/r/vegetablegardening/comments/16m4til/eggplant_dots/

https://www.reddit.com/r/foodsafety/comments/1iv7qb4/eggplant_had_dark_spotsseeds_safe_to_eat/

Note that random reddits are not a source of reliable information. However, OP is certainly not the first to notice such spots, and it is not marked anywhere as dangerous. It is also notably absent on any sites about checking whether your eggplant has gone bad.

[–] nieceandtows@programming.dev 3 points 1 day ago

Nice thank you for this.

[–] NRDK@lemmy.ml 36 points 2 days ago (1 children)
[–] nieceandtows@programming.dev 37 points 2 days ago

Well, yours is the only answer she agrees with, so I guess it's right.

[–] jsomae@lemmy.ml 1 points 1 day ago

I see these on eggplants a lot. IDK what they are.

[–] Mothra@mander.xyz 15 points 2 days ago (1 children)

This doesn't look like seeds to me, but it's also super hard to see what the eggplant tissue is like. If you didn't mention eggplant, I would never guess what you're holding is an eggplant. A classic cross section of the whole thing would be more useful to identify what's going on.

Next time if you can just cut the eggplant in half, either along its length or across, and take a photo

[–] Krackalot@discuss.tchncs.de 8 points 2 days ago (2 children)

I've grown a few eggplant varieties and I've never seen this. The seeds are much larger from my experience. Perhaps these are under developed seeds, I'm not sure. I'd say provide more images. Like has been mentioned get a single slice cross cut. I'd wager that it's possibly a reaction to the knife. So try and rip a few pieces and see if it's still there. I doubt it's mold or any sort of fungal infection. Unless the outside looks weird.

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[–] ocean@lemmy.selfhostcat.com 6 points 2 days ago

I really don’t know but after no results on other platforms a couple google results agreed that it’s the seeds.

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