persimmons - Building your pantry

I like to introduce people to persimmons because many aren’t familiar with this spectacular fruit. You can find persimmons in late fall and early winter, and they embody the season’s colors perfectly with gorgeous bright reds and oranges. Persimmons are an excellent source of Vitamin C and manganese and contain several other phytochemicals like betulinic acid. Betulinic acid has been shown to have antiviral, antimalarial, and anti-inflammatory properties and has potential as an anti-cancer agent.

Choosing the right kind of persimmon is imperative. Fuyu(fuji) persimmons can be sliced and eaten, skin and all, when still firm (remember, when you are at the market, the “F” stands for“firm”). On the other hand, the Hachiya persimmon, when ripe, is described as feeling like a “balloon filled with water” and has a jelly-like flesh. And if it’s anything less than jelly-like ripe, it will be insanely astringent with a terrible mouth-drying experience—so beware. The Fuyu, which is smaller than Hachi-ya and squat like a tomato, is my preferred form; you can just eat it like an apple or slice it and relish every bite. To ripen, and remove the astringency of both kinds of persimmons, let them sit on the counter for several days to a few weeks. You can also place them in a paper bag with other pieces of ripening fruit, like an apple, pear, or banana, to speed up the process. You can eat persimmons fresh (my favorite), dehydrated, or cooked.

You can add fresh persimmon to salads and use it as a topping for breakfast cereal, parfaits, and so much more. The soft variety can be cut in half and scooped out with a spoon the same way you’d eat a kiwi or an avocado. They also make a tasty puree which can be used in a variety of desserts, especially pies.

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