“Eggplant Erik” makes a GWR comeback after unveiling the longest aubergine
In August 2025, avid gardener Erik Gunstrom of Pennsylvania, USA, was riding high after jubilantly claiming the world record for the heaviest aubergine.
In a way, he broke the record twice in one go. From the same plant of Solanum melongena, he harvested two phenomenal fruit, one weighing 3.900 kg (8 lb 9.6 oz) and the other 3.969 kg (8 lb 12 oz). Both exceeded the previous best of 3.778 kg (8 lb 5.3 oz), which had been set in Iowa, USA, in 2024.
Gunstrom with what was the heaviest eggplant in August 2025
But as can cruelly happen from time to time in the field of competitive horticulture, his world-record glory was not to last for very long…
Indeed, just three weeks after Gunstrom’s heaviest aubergine had been recognized by GWR, a rival came along in Switzerland that snatched the title on 12 September 2025.
The current heaviest eggplant with its grower Martin Truttmann from Switzerland in September 2025
And it did so in style, raising the bar by more than a kilogram. The mark to beat now sits at a mighty 5.078 kg (11 lb 3 oz) – akin to a gallon-pot of paint – for a specimen of Aswad aubergine that was grown by Martin Truttmann (Switzerland) as confirmed in Esslingen, Zurich.
Not one to let this setback get him down, Gunstrom trained his sights on a new challenge in 2026: to see if he could cultivate the longest aubergine.
And sure enough, he’s now got his name back in the record books. Even more remarkably, once again, he’s essentially achieved a double-whammy success, producing two eggplants that surpassed the previous holder: one measuring 51.6 cm (1 ft 8.3 in) and the bigger of the two – and taking the record crown – registering 54.3 cm (1 ft 9.4 in). For some context, that's equivalent to more than two iPads in a row, or about the same as a French bulldog.
Former grower of the longest aubergine Peter Glazebrook in 2025
The former mark of 49 cm (1 ft 7.3 in) was established in September 2025 by veteran grower Peter Glazebrook (UK) as verified at the CANNA UK National Giant Vegetables Championship during the Malvern Autumn Show in Worcestershire, UK.
Former growers of the longest aubergine Kevin Fortey and Chris Fowler
Prior to that the record was awarded to a 44.3-cm (1-ft 5.4-in) specimen that was a collaborative effort between eight-year-old Dasha Edwards, Chris Fowler, Kevin Fortey and Gareth Fortey (all UK) as measured in Cwmbran, Gwent, UK, on 21 November 2024.
The most recent record aubergine, grown by Gunstrom, belongs to a variety known as “Thai Long Green”, which as the name indicates is characterized by its elongated, green-coloured fruits. However, these typically tend to reach around 20–30 cm (7.9–11.8 in) in length, so these examples have more than doubled the average.
Incredibly, this was the first time that Gunstrom had ever attempted to cultivate this particular type of aubergine, proving that with hard work, instinct and the right conditions, you don’t have to be a specialist in a certain cultivar to achieve unprecedented results.
“I chose this variety specifically to make a run at the world record,” Gunstrom revealed. “This plant produces long thin eggplants. I figured if I started with this type of genetics I could utilize my advanced growing techniques to hopefully produce some very long eggplants.”
Conditions were very good for eggplants this season. It has been a very hot and wet summer. Eggplants love the heat. These weather conditions definitely helped me achieve two world-record eggplants – Erik Gunstrom
Gunstrom planted the seed for the plant that would bear the record fruit on 1 April and they initially grew in a heated greenhouse before being transferred outside in late May. He explained some of his process: “I do a lot of work to prepare my soil, and to be honest I don’t really rely on soil testing. I use an array of organic amendments to prepare my soil and this creates a very large and healthy root system which is the key to growing world-record-calibre eggplants.”
The seeds from his superlative eggplants have now been collected so Gunstrom can continue pursuing his goal of ever-larger fruit. Once the seeds were safely harvested, he consumed the rest; as Gunstrom told GWR: “I had to taste it to see what flavour it had. It’s not every day you get a chance to take a bite out of a world record.”
Gunstrom is the first to acknowledge that his new record aubergine could be surpassed in the near future – as he found out rather quickly with his heaviest aubergine in 2025. But he’s pretty philosophical about this eventuality.
“Yes, there will be longer and heavier eggplants grown. I do everything to prepare my soil and plants to grow a world record. But I don’t set my goal to actually grow a world record. Giant vegetable growing is so highly competitive around the world and with the amount of very knowledgeable growers, it’s a losing feat to think you can go out there and beat the best of the best growers in the world.”
"I have such a passion for gardening, I just love to be out there running my hands through the soil, watching the bees buzzing, hearing the birds chirping, and to be so lucky enough to have a hummingbird visit while I’m in the garden. If I set my goal to only grow world records that would take all of this enjoyment away from me."
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