Satsuma Long Eggplant is a Japanese heirloom that grows impressively slender fruits up to 16 inches long while maintaining tender, sweet flesh. Its minty green skin has a distinctive matte finish that sets it apart visually in the garden. The white interior is buttery and delicate, making it exceptional both raw in salads and cooked in tempura, curries, or grilled preparations. Thriving in zones 10-12, this eggplant reaches harvest in just 75-80 days and proves remarkably easy to grow for gardeners seeking a long, elegant Asian variety.
Full Sun
Moderate
10-12
?in H x ?in W
—
Low
Hover over chart points for details
The real draw here is the contrast: a super long fruit that somehow stays tender instead of becoming seedy and tough like many elongated eggplants. The minty-green skin with its subtle matte finish gives it an almost jade-like appearance on the plant. You'll get fruits stretching to 16 inches that taste sweet and buttery rather than bland or bitter, and they perform beautifully across nearly every cooking method, from quick tempura frying to slow roasting and grilling. For a Japanese heirloom, it's surprisingly low-maintenance, which explains why both gardeners and professional chefs have kept this variety alive.
This eggplant excels in tempura, where its tender flesh fries to silky perfection, and in curries where the long slices absorb sauce beautifully. It grills and roasts exceptionally well, transforms into crispy chips when sliced and fried, and holds up beautifully in soups and pizzas. The white flesh is delicate enough to slice thinly for fresh salads, and it takes to pickling with ease. Steaming and stir-frying are natural applications given its Japanese heritage.
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Start seeds indoors at 65°F, typically 6-8 weeks before your last frost date. Keep soil consistently warm and moist until seedlings emerge. Transplant into larger containers once they develop true leaves, maintaining warmth throughout.
Harden off seedlings over 7-10 days by gradually exposing them to outdoor conditions. Transplant outdoors only after soil temperature reaches at least 65°F and all danger of frost has passed. Plant 18 inches apart in full sun.
Harvest fruits when they reach 12-16 inches long and the skin is glossy and firm to the touch. Pick eggplants while the skin still yields slightly to gentle pressure; older fruits become seedy and tough. Use a knife or pruners to cut the stem rather than pulling, as the plant is brittle. Harvesting regularly encourages more fruit production throughout the season.
Given the compact growth habit, minimal pruning is needed. You may remove the first flowers to encourage a stronger plant structure before first fruit set, then allow flowering to proceed. Remove any yellowing or diseased leaves to maintain plant health and air circulation.
Enter your ZIP code to see a personalized growing calendar for this plant.