Japanese Eggplant
Japanese eggplant has a long, slightly bulbous shape and its shiny, waxed skin will range from dark purple to almost black. The firm, creamy white flesh will have pale white to light brown seeds. Stem will have a firmly attached, purple-black calyx. Japanese eggplants can exhibit minor limb and leaf rub and minor scuffing and scarring.

Storage
» Store in its sealed original carton in the warmest part of the walk-in cooler. Chilling injury (water-soaked spots, pitting and accelerated decay) can occur if held for more than 3 days, un-protected, in a walk-in cooler.
» Store in the original container to protect. Do not stack heavy objects on top of cases to limit the potential of crushing.
» Store away from drafts from the walk-in cooler. Eggplant are extremely susceptible to dehydration.

Handling
» Follow good rotation practices, first shipments received should be used first.
» Eggplant have an expected shelf life of 4-5 days. Plan to rotate frequently to maintain quality.
» Handle with care, eggplant will bruise easily.
» Avoid placing the case or raw product on non-sanitized kitchen counter tops to help prevent the potential for cross contamination.
» Limit the time the product is out of refrigeration, do not allow unused product to reach room temperature.

Preparation
» Prep fresh daily as needed. Try not to use product from the previous day.
» Use the entire eggplant. Do not store partially prepped product back into the walk-in cooler for extended periods of time.