I find that with eggplant, the bitterness factor is often related to how long it hangs on the plant - each variety has a "mature size" - beyond that, if you leave it hang too long on the plant, seeds get larger and the fruit more bitter. For many of the varieties, when they start to lose their gloss is one indication of overripeness. The dead giveaway is fading of color, and development of a yellow color - time for seed saving only at that point.
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Craig
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