The most common source of bitterness is not the eggplant itself, but burnt bits of skin mixed into the flesh. The second source is the seeds: darkened seeds in large, overripe eggplants carry a noticeable bitterness. The third is roasting for too long; if the skin goes past charring, the bitterness seeps into the flesh. All three can be prevented by choosing the right eggplant, roasting it for the right amount of time, and removing the skin cleanly.
The most common cause is visible: black flecks that get mixed into the flesh while peeling. Burnt skin is charred and has a sharply bitter taste; even a few flecks affect the whole mash. Your fingers keep getting dirty as you peel, and that residue goes straight onto the flesh. So wipe your hands from time to time on a dry paper towel and transfer the eggplant to a clean plate. For the same reason, do not peel the eggplant on the tray or stovetop where it was roasted; move it to a clean surface.
The second source is the seeds. A young eggplant has small, light-colored, nearly flavorless seeds. When an eggplant is large and overripe, its seeds grow, darken, and begin to taste noticeably bitter. If you see a brown seed bed in the cut surface, that eggplant is likely to taste bitter; you can scoop this area out with a spoon, but the best solution is to choose the right eggplant from the start. If removing the seed bed, cut the eggplant lengthwise and scrape away only that area with a spoon, leaving the rest.
That is why selection comes first. Choose eggplants that feel heavy in your hand, have shiny, taut skin, and a fresh, green stem end. If you press the skin with a finger and the mark remains instead of springing back, the eggplant is old. Choose medium-sized ones; very large eggplants have more seeds and are more bitter. This problem is noticeably less common in eggplant bought in season. Skin color is another clue: dull, wrinkled skin suggests the eggplant has spent longer on the shelf. If a light tap on the skin produces a hollow sound, the eggplant has started to dry out.
The third source is roasting for too long. Roasting is done when the skin darkens and the flesh softens; after that point, leaving it over the heat only drives the char deeper. When the skin thickens and turns to charcoal, a thin layer underneath also transfers a burnt taste to the flesh, and that taste remains even after peeling. Remove the eggplant from the heat when its side collapses when pressed. Hold a roasted eggplant by the stem as you lift it from the heat; pressing on the body can make the flesh fall apart. Move it first to a plate, not directly to a colander, and let it cool for a few minutes.
If bitterness is still noticeable, you can balance it in the dish. Yogurt, olive oil, and a pinch of salt noticeably soften the bitter note; a few drops of lemon do the same. Washing the eggplant in water is not a solution: water does not remove all the bitterness and also washes away the roasted flavor. An eggplant that tastes very bitter should be discarded, because that flavor will spread through the whole mash. Keeping a note for next time can help too; eggplant bought from the same stand often gives the same result.
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Acılığı hep patlıcanın cinsine veriyordum. Soyarken ete karışan siyah zerreleri suyla değil kağıt havluyla almak gerekiyormuş, suya tutunca tat gidiyor.