I bought two eggplant plants last spring.
Japanese Longs and a white one I don't have a name for.
The white eggplants are yellow toward the bottom of the plant and white near the top of the plant.
Is the yellowing OK ?

May be age- my FairyTale eggplants reached way too big and yellowed. They may need harvested sooner.

There are clusters of small yellow ones at the base of the plant, not mature enough to pick.
Do you think it might be too much shade from leaf cover ?

You have no memory of which ones they are? Can you add a picture? They like sun.

Here are some pix just now
Harvested this morning


Full plant. These are in an Earthbox on the deck and get full sun . Plants are huge.



Yellow eggplants growing at the base of the plant.

The white eggplants should be harvested while white...before they turn yellow. Size of fruit does not matter. Cut open a yellow one and check the seeds. If allowed too long on the plant the eggplant are more bitter tasting.

Thanks Greene, I forgot to ask if they were still edible if yellow.

Still edible, yes. If you want to remove the bitterness you can thinly slice the eggplant, salt liberally, allow to drain. Rinse off the salt and cook your using your favorite recipe.

Thanks yes I have cooked eggplant before, just never grown these smaller varieties.
I LOVE the Japanese Longs. Thin skin and sweet and tender.
When all is said I think I will harvest as many yellow ones as possible and make Ratatouille.
I have been making Eggplant Gratine with the white ones.

I love growing the white eggplants, and my experience was the same as Kat's - if I left them too long on the plant they would gradually turn yellow. Better to harvest an immature one than to let them stay on the plant too long.