In Season: Persimmons

YumSugar — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 15:00:05 -0800

Despite the fact that it's Winter, don't limit your fruit intake to oranges, bananas, and apples. Next time you're at the market, pick up a few persimmons. The sweet, mild-flavored fruits, which originate from Asia, are in season between November and February.

Persimmons are bountiful in Asia, and are popular yard fruit trees in the United States, but if you've never enjoyed a persimmon before, know that there are two distinctly different kinds: fuyu persimmons and hachiyas. While they're both persimmons, fuyus and hachiyas have striking differences. Learn more about them when you read more.

Orange-red, acorn-shaped hachiya persimmons are very astringent when unripe, which means that if you eat them before their prime, you'll experience a bitter, tannic, chalky taste. When ready to eat, the variety will be soft and squishy to the touch with a jelly-like texture.

In contrast, tomato-shaped, light orange-hued fuyus are ripe when they are firm, yet give slightly to the touch, much like a peach. While the two kinds of persimmons are distinct, they're both aromatic and sweet. Here are some ideas for enjoying both of them:

Freeze soft hachiyas and eat them instead of ice cream.
Slice fuyus either cross-sectionally, like apples; or, for a pretty presentation, slice them laterally to show off their seeds' natural asterisk pattern.
Purée extremely ripe persimmons and mix into nutty batter for an enticing bread.
Use ripe hachiyas to make persimmon pudding.
Slice fuyus into a salad for added crunch, color, and flavor.

Have you been afraid to try persimmons until now? If you're already a fan, tell me how you like to enjoy them below.

What's In Season: Persimmons

YumSugar — Wed, 27 Dec 2006 07:59:58 -0800

Ever decide to make a recipe, write up a grocery list, and head to the store only to discover sadly that the star ingredient of your dish is actually out of season? There is a reason strawberry shortcakes are only consumed in summer and sweet potato pie in winter. Of course modern American supermarkets would like the average everyday Jane to think that everything is always in season, but they're not fooling me. More and more chefs and restaurants have returned to cooking with fresh, seasonal ingredients. To help you do the same in your kitchen, once a week I'll write about what fruits and vegetables you should be eating now.

Let's start with persimmons, which are in season from November until February, but peak in November and December (so hurry and get your fix while the fixings good). Persimmons are a fruit of Chinese origin and early American settlers used them to make beer and wine. When ripe, the persimmon has a smooth, creamy texture, tangy-sweet flavor, and bright red-orange skin and flesh. The most common persimmon is the Hachiya or the Japanese persimmon. Don't even think about eating these heart shaped little babies until they're ripe because the incredible astringency will make your mouth pucker. You'll know that the Hachiya is ripe when the flesh feels squishy, almost like a water balloon full of jelly.

Persimmons are chock full of vitamins, can be used in recipes (like this one for persimmon bread ) or enjoyed eaten right out of the hand. I personally like to freeze them and eat them as if they were ice cream.