Recently I picked up my CSA basket, and among the usual fruits and veggies, I found some bright orange tomato looking fruit. When I asked what it was, they told me it was a persimmon. I have seen them around before, but I had never tried one before. I feel like I am a knowledgeble person when it comes to fruits and vegetables, so I was surprised that I had never tried one before?
After doing a little re-search and asking around, I found that persimmons are a sweet mild tasting fruit that originate from Asia. There are two main varieties of persimmon commercially available in the U.S. today: the acorn-shaped Hachiya, and the squat, tomato-shaped Fuyu (pictured above). Hachiya persimmons remain tart and chalky until they are extremely ripe, while Fuyu persimmons are sweeter and can be eaten while still firm. Look for persimmons with taut, glossy skin, avoiding fruit with soft spots or bruises. If persimmons are still firm, store them at room temperature and allow them to ripen. Store soft, ripe persimmons in the refrigerator until ready to eat.
Persimmons are in season between late October to February, which is nice, since a large variety of fruit isn’t as abundant this time of year. The native Japanese persimmons were introduced to America in the late 1800′s, and now many varieties are grown in California. They are an excellent source of Vitamin A, a good source of Vitamin C, and are high in fiber.
The skin is usually peeled when eaten and are commonly eaten fresh, dried, raw, or cooked. You can eat them plain, or on top of your morning oatmeal, which I recently discovered is so tasty!
Read more for a few recipes with persimmons!
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Posted in Caroline, FYI, Seasonal |
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