I Grew "GIANT" Eggplants From eBay To See How Big They Really Would Grow 

Please bring us along when you save the seeds. That would be a good skill to learn. Congratulations on your lovely eggplants! ~ Lisa

I would always see these sellers with crazy plants, always wondered if they where just clickbaiting, good to know that not everyone does.

One of the things I love most about your channel is that you post a lot more videos of "here's how this turned out and how I did it" than "here's a new thing I'm going to try". So many other RU-vid creators who "teach" to gardening, homesteading, and basic life skills show videos when they begin something, but not the middle stages or end results! I love that you say "here's how we got into it". Thank you for contiuing to make wonderful videos, even through renovations and floods and all else! You're fantastic.

I'm glad you enjoyed our seeds, that's actually my wife in that picture. I hope people watch the whole video; I was worried early on after receiving a message from a viewer of yours. Lots of compost brother, rock on.

eBay's good. I got some Avola peas from the UK, which are tricky to come by here in the U.S. But truth be told, Etsy is my GO TO for buying seeds. I've had amazing results, both in quality and selection.

Actulally Mark, the white strawberry with red seeds that is on the lower right corner at 0:31 is a real variety. I've seen people grow it here in France ;) It produces very little and is very delicate but apparently they taste very good

I had a farmer tell me that the purple eggplant is unripened and the yellowing eggplant (that you called older) was actually ripe eggplant. I’m not partial either way but always thought that was interesting. He said the same for cucumbers that the yellowing/orange ones are ripened while the green are not ripe….this farmer preferred the ripe cucumber did not like green cucumber. Interesting information I had never heard before -or after meeting that guy. Love your channels. From Peoria AZ!

Look on the bottom, (blossom end) of the fruit, there will either be an oval, or a round dimple. The oval are bitter and need to be pressed or salted, but I always just removed those as soon as I could see the shape. It made the better fruit grow larger. I have never seen eggplant cooked as you did. Only dipped in egg, then seasoned flour, egg again and breadcrumbs and never ever unpeeled. they are then parmesan'd, or layered in a lasagna. Eggplant is a meat substitute. >> Tom's Ukrainian/American wife Pam

Mark this should be a new series of growing these scam plants from seed 🤣

Wack a bit of garlic in the pan as well Mark when you fry the egg plants tastes great.

Love growing eggplants! And for fried eggplant, summac is the best thing to sprinkle

It’s a rare treat to get a quick glimpse of the Queen of the household. Good day from sunny California!

Baker Creek heirloom seeds Mansfield Missouri has truly amazing things that you may never find anywhere else and you can regrow them all from seed, very reputable company

I never knew I needed to see Russel Crow talking about growing Eggplants.

Would have been nice to see them grow beside a “regular” black beauty eggplant. That way we see the difference in size grown in the same conditions. (Also to see if the regular one would’ve fared well against the flood rains)

I'm still VERY impressed with the size of them! Plus, no soaking in salt to remove bitterness is a definite plus. Am going to look for these seeds on ebay. And, thanks for the video on them.

I got tomato seeds from my old uncle this year. He warned me they would get big and would need lots of support but I thought he might have been exaggerating a bit. He wasn't! They came in over a kilo. I weighed the biggest on my Instagram yesterday and it came in at 1137g. They're massive tomatoes. Can't wait to grow them again next year.

Its been a year since I was tuned in (busy year), you have either lost weight or just got healthier in general. When you said you would be saving the seeds and growing them again I started applauding for some reason. I guess I just love seed saving, and happy you liked the eggplant too.

My wife grew Japanese eggplant last summer and it was by far the best eggplant I ever had.

Caught this episode after work yesterday, stopped by the grocery on the way home. Grabbed an eggplant and a block of Italian Parmigiano Reggiano. Fried it up just like you (Himalayan Pink Salt made all the difference) only sprinkled on the parm for my wife after work today... We'll see if that Aubergenie is lucky!!!

Oooh, you use the same pan as I do, can really recommend them, mine is 10 years old and still looks like new. Better buy expensive once than cheap every few months

You have the best sense of humor along with your wonderful gardening tips. Thanks, from the California Desert

I just gave this video, a big eggplant thumbs up!!

A good way to cook egg plants: rinse, sautee with a few onion rings, in heated 1tsp of veg. or olive oil. Drizzle soy sauce. Eat with long grain rice.

Hey Mark, I love eggplant and my Mom would cook it all the time when I was young. That big one was the normal size for us in California. We lived in a big farming county in Southern California so there was always a supply of inexpensive fruit and vegetables. Mom would slice them the same way you did but she would beat up some eggs and soak it in that and have a mixture of flour, pepper and other spices. Then cook the them until the they were a golden brown. It was one of my favorite foods and anytime I cook it I am reminded of my Mom.

Two words describe your channel Mark for us, granted I can think of lots of others! but, "Simply Brilliant" 👏👏👏👍👍👍👊

Eggplants are like sponges when it comes to soaking in oil during "frying/sauteing". A healthier way is to lightly brush them with olive oil, dust them with salt and pepper, then bake them until tender. They taste even better, and it cuts the oil by 90%.

Liked the Bigfoot joke. That was pretty cool. Great video Mark. The video was fantastic.

The small one is actually bigger (diameter wise) than the average size of eggplants sold in my country.

Hi.... Mark nice to see you, thank you for showing your video homestead 👋 bye 👋 bye 👋 bye 👋 🏡🎥👍👍👍

I would love to see more Ebay experiments. Even though I do not care for eggplant, much too bitter for me, I enjoyed this video.

I would love to see a part 2, we’re you give them extra attention the second time round and see how big they get!

Lol this is awesome. I always wonder who sees those photos photoshoped strawberries and buys them lol

ebay can have great things. I got a lovely purple cactus from there years ago and it came as a cutting in a plastic bag. it ended up getting huge and even blooming several times

cool video, I'm always a bit cautious about buying seeds online. Would be cool to see more videos testing seeds you bought off the internet

So glad the algorithm recommended your channel to me years ago, cheers from Kentucky!

Your "small one" is the usual size we get in the supermarket in the Netherlands. I am growing "normal" and baby aubergine plants myself. Hope I will get the same success as you

Cheers Mark for another great video. Love eggplants, especially fresh from the garden. I'll never forget how sweet they are from my aunty's backyard in Greece with the blessed sun & soil of the motherland. Like nothing else!

Lol Mark. An aubergeni classic. Seems they were normal black beauty seed to me

Magnificent, keep all types of eggsplant seeds is key for diversity.

You cheered me up again! And again, I learned a lot. Thank you! 🔆

Thank you so much Mark. Your videos are not just informative, but entertaining as well. I greatly appreciate that you should us the entire process of sowing to harvest and then cooking it too. Thank you so much for the effort you put into these videos. I usually watch your videos while I eat my food. May you get more subscribers and recognition for the work you do. Thank you!

Thank you Mark for this video. I Love your videos! They are so REAL & Relatable~ I'm still renting a condo, so no place to grow; but I'm looking to find property where I can. I spent the first 45 yrs. of my life living on a FARM. Looking forward to getting back to my roots~ Yes, I share your videos with everyone I know. Blessings to All~

I've never tried eggplant. I might give it a shot. I may even try to grow my own!

Please show how you saved the seeds and show how those grow with your adjustments (staking, fertlizer) next year. Eggplant, thumbs-up (don't have emojis right now).

I've got 5 aubergines now in their final containers. They are going to live in a plastic, small, very small, greenhouse along with green and black sweet peppers and Million cherry tomatoes. The 6 courgette plants are in pots and happily growing away; the outdoor cucumbers are beginning to fruit; we have 3 types of beans, runner, french and broad; the baby strawberry plants are looking good as are the other 2 types of tomatoes, Moneymaker and Black Cherry. Not bad in a small area for this year. The planted blackcurrant won't be quite so prolific this year but that's ok. Everything bar the blackcurrant is in containers of one type or another. Weather in Plymouth, England has been glorious, so I'm going to be hoping for a long, warm summer with plenty of sunshine. We feel so blessed to have so much growing. Next year I hope the total redesign of the garden, front, side and back will be well underway and we can grow even more. Thank goodness for freezers and a food dehydrator! Thank you so much Mark for your videos, I learn from you each time. Best wishes from a fellow VET!

So good to see you Mark. Food prices are going through the roof here in Virginia USA so I am doubling the size of my garden this year. I just want to let you know how much easier what I've learned from all your videos is making it. Made me laugh to see an eggplant video. Just yesterday I was just telling my friend who likes grilled veggies she should try grilling eggplant. I'll have to send her this video.

Your aubergenie joke made my OH laugh out loud, which is quite hard to do.

That's the kind of eggplant I grew up with and always thought was the "standard" type when I was a kid. They cook well, are not bitter at all (not even the skin), and can be used in a wide range dishes.

Mark you have been such an inspiration for me. I have a tiny little apartment in Perth and it has a small balcony. I'm now growing all sorts of herbs and chilies and whatnot. I'm really enjoying it and I find it calming. I wouldn't have had the confidence to start my little balcony garden without watching your channel. I hope you're doing well in your part of the country and the floods didn't affect you. Thanks for all your help and advice! Tom in Perth.

Awesome to see a new full sized gardening vid :) I'm in Canada and excited for warmer weather around the corner

I gotta tell you man, I'm new here and holy crap you are funny. I love the sly little comments you make and the cuts you do, and your demeanor is very friendly and kind. You're awesome!

I’ve never tried eggplant but honestly I’m thinking about it now because of how much he enjoyed eating them.

I have planted Eggplant in Queensland and they do very well. They are a very hardy plant and so delicous. So many different recipes and a substantial meal.

Well, here in my area of Texas, our stores bring in the smaller eggplants. It's rare we get eggplants that large. However I remember back at home with my mom in another area of Texas that the eggplants were larger than here. Those do look pretty big still, but I won't eat them either way. Not a fan. I might grow some for my chickens though.

Watching from Tanzania Africa. I like this RU-vid Channel

I love your videos! So glad I found this channel, can't wait to get out of college and start my own garden! Also idk if you've heard of the North American PawPaw, but it's supposed to be a delicious fruit but difficult to cultivate. I'd love to see you try and grow and them!!

Yummy, eating those eggplants is making hungry to grow some of my own. Now I have to have some for dinner!

I wonder if you could prune all but one or two off a plant like pumpkins to get them to grow larger?

THANK YOU FOR SHOWING US THAT YOUR REAL , LOVE THE KITCHEN AREA UNDER CONSTRUCTION. THUMBS UP!!

Mark, The thing I really find to be of extra worth in your videos is that even if I don't fancy eating some of the veggies you present I find it to be extremely rewarding to watch how you grow them. One thought I came up with refers to statements you have mentioned from time to time about saving seeds. While some seeds are quite easy to save and plant / grow some are a bit dodgy. Is there a chance you might craft a future video on saving seeds for next year planting? Cheers. - Joe S - Idaho / Alaska

The bit chefs like is the bit near the stem, it's the best eating part. The new growth section of the plant is less bitter, sweeter even, and best texture... The base is by comparison always the less palatable bitter, flavourless woody end...

Good video Mark, and like getting to see a taste test. I grew up with the 'old' eggplants that would get bitter so fast in hot weather that salt, milk, nothing could make them taste good. After watching this I might give eggplant a try again.

Fascinating vid. This channel is always an inspiration to me! Thanks Mark.. 👍🤗

Hey! Just wanted to say I've really been enjoying the channel! I have a small garden at my house and you've inspired me to grow food!

I love this channel! You just have seen someone make growing eggplant extra enjoyable with the experiment aspect. This is the way. Thank you Mark! 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

I bought and grew chocolate colored bell peppers and yes they looked just like milk chocolate all the way through and tasted like a normal bell. . Was odd eating them though, like eating green ketchup, or maybe like eating a blue strawberry 😛, just a mind thing. They looked pretty good on the plant but not very appetizing cut up on a plate. Glad your seeds turned out well.

Man SSM is a great channel! Eventhou I dont live in the same area Mark has great information and through his own trial and error he's helped me more then he probably knows. S.S.M. is in my top 10 most watched and liked channels!!

I just want to see this man succeed. Great content.

The time and amount of information you put into your videos is deeply appreciated!!!

Yeah Mawk I think you are on the right track with giving them extra feedings next time :) I have noticed that eggplants that are underfed make the fruits as wide as they want, and then not quite as long. just a hunch but they should get same width but longer if they get extra feedings

Bengali Dish "Begun Baja" is cooked almost the same way, except it is cooked in Mustard Oil and is rolled in Turmeric power, and sprinkled with some salt to taste. Amazing taste.

I love eggplant and watching you eat those without making nasty faces was an absolute pleasure! 🤣 I love watching your garden grow since I don't live where I can have one. 😍

So a good cooking tip with Eggplant is to do what's called a "dry brine", sprinkle with salt a few minute before cooking and take a clean paper towel and dab off the liquid that leeches out from it. This will help reduce any bitter taste and make for better crisping.

BTW: if you get bored of pepper, try using long pepper instead. It has a very distinct flavour and has a mild heat to it. It can't replace regular pepper in every dish, but some it makes definitely better.

I'm glad to see one of the most fun things of gardening being illustrated, expierementation. Thanking for sharing the fun 😊.

I have two eggplant seedlings growing! I ll be basically deliriously happy if i ll get one small fruit of each one 😂 this cold Finnish climate just is not very good for those plants.. not even if grown in a polytunnel. but lets see 🍆🍆🍆 wish me luck 😁

I love you Mark. Your videos are really “good vibes only”

I don't even like eggplants, but seeing you grow them from those seeds was impressive! Too bad about the stalks snapping, but glad they turned out.

Regardless of perceived size, which is usually down to spacing, and pruning out the fruits, that variety is Black Beauty, which is renowned for its flavour. I grow them every year, up here in Sweden and the ones I get are probably equivalent to your small size, again because mine are in a container and don't get constant watering and feeding. Staking is essential as your video rightly points out, great to see and hear the enthusiasm in your videos, and to see the honesty in your results, that's how people learn.

Black Beauty Aubergines are my go-to aubergines in South Africa (and also by far the most commonly available). Are these a special giant version, or is "giant" just part of the marketing? The "ordinary Black Beauty" ones we grow definitely also need solid staking, and grow fruit of similar size to the ones in this video. (Edited typos.)

I always blend cornmeal/flour/salt and pepper dampen the eggplant and cover both sides then brown them in your choise of oil.

your very inspiring mark, keep up the good work!

For maximum size (it's true for almost all veggies) just pinch the top to prevent new growth, and keep only 3 fruits max. For record pumpkins, farmers keep only one fruit per plant. Of course they taste bland when you do that. I tried one to pinch the top of my tomato plants, to have only a few fruits on them. You do get bigger fruits, but the taste is diluted, so why bother. It's just for show.

Youre like my dad. He is like you when it comes to passion about the work he done for his own. he is a worker to make streets and paths ( i am from germany and dont know the job name but i try to describe) but can build any type of things. He build my home stand alone mostly and has made a great garden full of flowers and bushes. And he plants an apple tree when i was 7. ( now i am 30) Nice to see another beeing who has the same passion for doing things at home. Wish i could be like you and my dad some day!

Surprised at the turn out. I've never personally had eggplant, however it looked like squash or zucchini the way you cooked it and that's what I imagined the taste was like. Well done Mark!

I bought some Cape Gooseberries of ebay once and they ended up beeing fantastic! Also sceptical if they would actually grow. They sure did:)

You should buy the coloured strawberry seeds from ebay, you'll get red strawberrys of course but what if they did end up blue haha

I took some excess eggplants to work a few years ago and one of my colleagues gave me some back as a jar of relish. Very nice. You could get quite a few jars out of that lot.

Great job Mark. I would never ever think of growing a giant eggplant because when you buy a giant one at the market they are usually tough and pithy. Glad to learn from your experiment. Try making eggplant (lasagna) casserole. Used thinner cut cooked eggplant in place of the lasagna noodle. Layer the same way sauce, eggplant, meat/sauce and cheese. etc. really good. Just follow your normal lasagna recipe. Cut your eggplant length wise. Or sprinkle with parmesan cheese and pan fry for eggplant parmesan. Super yummy. Oh now I'm hungry. G day Mark.

In order to get the largest possible fruit, I suggest you use a method similar to growing giant pumpkins: remove all flowers until the plant is quite large, then allow a few fruit to form, and keep the largest one.

Mark! You just made me want to plant this veggie that I have resisted for few years, especially seeing you cook and eat 😋! By the way, I noticed your right forearm is much more muscular than the left, from the hard work in the garden, or because of the camera angle? I had own experience when I played tennis!

Never thought about buying seeds on eBay or Amazon, thank for the information 😀😀😀

Do you have any plans to do any other giant vegetables? There’s a giant bread of cabbage out of Alaska- might be to hot in your climate for it though.

This was an eggcellent plant video!

Is that eggplant a hybrid or heirloom? Just wondering if the seeds will produce same eggplant?

Mark, I just saw the post about flooding in Lismore and my first thoughts were about you as I'm not exactly where in Australia you live. I pray that you and your loved ones are safe!

Yeah Mark, its a pleasure to see a wonderful human being, a good man, sharing his knowledge and being as a whole as God intended. Heaven Truly will be so amazing with so many wonderful people and extraordinary gardens to have fun designing greater than all the people. I really love it when people find the reward of a garden and what it does for not just our health but our knowledge of interconnectedness, our spirit and the feeling we know God is near, feeling His blessing and thanking him for the seeds that only He can make grow. Its meant to be wonderful and it is so. Much more than we often see on the surface. I have long said if you love to garden you also don’t need a gym membership. Great workout And the movements work all the muscles pushing and pulling not to mention the needed brain power that goes into lots of bio-organic chemistry, environmental studies of cause and effect, Structural engineering, creative beauty, genetics and pollination consideration, crop planning, economics, math, plant and animal and insect symbiotic relationships, patience, humility, joy, hope, disappointment, love and more. When God said on the 8th day that he looked around and saw that he needed a “special” “man” to til the ground talking about “the farmer” there’s no doubt the interest he gave them to know a little to alot about everything to achieve it was necessary and the typical farmer fits the bill. Small time farming has truly given me an incredible respect for all of the real farmers out there all throughout history who combine all the types of animals we can have around us with varied crops and never cease their thoughts and energy for such things. The garden/farm big or small is a learning mecca for all ages with true discipline at its greatest levels for all the things that “must” be done to ensure the good health of all the life one cares for and cant do without great love…love for animals and insects, and every plant, the sunshine and the rain, the days a few clouds are nice for newly planted seedlings, and everything that God has taught us to understand in the word of the World and age we live only if we understand the actions of farming including the pests and the weeds and its interconnectedness to achieving the end we hope for as much as God loves and hopes for us and reveals it to us especially when we live a little in the garden . Huge continued Blessings always and Thank you!

This was great. I have never eaten the ones that have turned colour. I will give it a go. Thanks .

Thank you Mark! Always a joy.