The onset of winter brings this glorious “fruit of the gods” alive. I use glorious not only for the beautiful luscious orange exterior that it has, but also for the rich sweetness that it brings along. There are quite a lot of us, who started a persimmon, on a wrong foot or should I say “bitter” note. The remarkable thing about this fruit is that, it has to reach, what you could probably say as “too ripe thats it looks all squishy! Yuk!” consistancy to blossom in your taste buds. They develop from a very tart and bitter taste when firm to sweetish plum like taste when very ripe. Here is a gist of points which would be helpful the next you get Persimmons.

1) How do Persimmons look like ?

Among the approximately 400 varieties available throughtout the world, the most popularly available in the market are in fact the Japanese variety namely Hachiya and Fuyu.

Hachiya is a heart/acorn shaped variety which is compartively larger than the Fuyu variety and accounts for approx 90% of the market today. Persimmons are classified into 2 basic types among which Hachiya belong to the type : Astringent which basically means that they are pungent and tart before softening. It has a burnt orange color and is best eaten when it reaches a very mushy and ripe state i.e it looks shriveled and going rotten state. But thats when it is full flavored and in fact ceratinly not going rotten It has few black colored seeds which are edible.

Source: Gluten Free Bay

Fuyu Variety are smaller than the Hachiya and squat tomato shaped. They belong to the Non-astringet type meaning that they are mild and sweet in flavor. They can be eaten when they are still firm unlike the hachiya. However, eating them while they ripe further also enhances their sweet flavor.

Source:Wikimedia Commons

2) How to Eat Persimmons?

Hachiya Persimmon: Wash and clean the soft and ripe persimmon under running cold water. Dry using a paper towel/cloth. Using a cutting board, slice the fruit in half. It does not contain many seeds, but if there are few, remove them using the knife tip and eat it using a spoon to scoop the sweet flesh.

Fuyu Persimmon: Since these can be eaten while firm, the skin can be peeled/unpeeled and eaten like an apple. Wash and dry the fruit, remove the leaves/calyx along with the core of the fruit, eat it whole or sliced.

3) Culinary Uses of Persimmons?

Persimmon can be enjoyed in their raw state as well as dried and cooked state.

Hachiya Persimmon: They are excellent in steamed puddings as well as in making all kind of baked goods like cakes, cookies, muffins and breads. Next time you plan on to make a holiday sauce or for a simple smoothie with pro-biotic yogurt use persimmon instead to make it a healthy and nutritious experience.

Fuyu Persimmon: Their firm texture allows them to be an excellent addtion to fruit salads or even for snacking. They are also great for poaching/ making salsa,chutney’s ,as a sliced topping to breakfast cereal etc.

4) Availibility and How to buy Persimmons?
Persimmons are available during the winter season, from late september through Jan/February.
While buying look for shiny and smooth skin. It should be little firm to touch and plump.Make sure they are not cracked/ or have bruises.

Go for Fuyu Persimmons if you want to eat it right away where the fruit chosen should be firm and crisp looking or else go for Hachiya which you can ripen for few more days at home. To ripen it faster, you can place the Hachiya in a paper bag along with apple. It ripens faster. Avoid Persimmons without their green leaves/calyx. Ripe Persimmons can be stored in the fridge for a few days or can be frozen with no loss to their flavor.

5)What are the health benefits of Persimmons?

They are rich in fibre. They are also excellent in providing Vitamin A and C, containing lots of anti oxidants.

This post is my contribution to Trupti’s AFAM : Persimmon event

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