Keep an eye out for brown spots around your eggplant, too. These spots are another sign that your eggplant is on its way out.

Rotten, smelly eggplants may also have bugs hanging around.

Make sure to leave a 1 in (2. 5 cm) perimeter around the mold spot as you slice it out. That way, the contaminated part of the veggie can’t touch the rest of the plant.

Eggplants last about 8-12 months in the freezer. [9] X Research source

Drizzle some lemon juice over your eggplant slices right after you cut them. The acidity of the lemon juice helps prevent the produce from turning brown.

Store your eggplant a safe distance away from any tomatoes, apples, melons, bananas, or peaches. These fruits create ethylene gas, which makes eggplants go bad sooner. [15] X Research source

Chilling injuries are soft, wet sections of eggplant that pop up after refrigeration. Never stick an eggplant in a sealed plastic bag! This makes it go bad really quickly. [17] X Research source

Mark the freezer bag with the current date, so you don’t forget how old the eggplant slices are. You can also preserve eggplant for long-term storage with a food dehydrator.