I'm Trying a New Fruit: Persimmons
I have never (knowingly) tried persimmons before, and when I saw them in the market yesterday I picked up a few. I'm copying some information below for reference. One of the good things to know, I'm learning, is that paper helps them ripen, and they should be very ripe before eating or they will cause your mouth to pucker!
Persimmons are native to Asia and popular in Japan, China, Korea and warm Mediterranean countries. They are a winter fruit that remains on the tree even after the leaves have fallen. Canadians can find this bright orange exotic fruit in our markets from October to January. source
A persimmon is the edible fruit of a number of species of trees in the genus Diospyros in the ebony wood family (Ebenaceae). The word Diospyros means "the fruit of the gods" in ancient Greek. As a tree, it is a perennial plant. The word persimmon is derived from putchamin, pasiminan, or pessamin, from Powhatan, an Algonquian language (related to Blackfoot, Cree and Mohican) of the eastern United States, meaning "a dry fruit". In traditional Chinese medicine the fruit is thought to regulate ch'i.
Commercially, there are generally two types of persimmon fruit: astringent and non-astringent.
The heart-shaped Hachiya [pictured above] is the most common variety of astringent persimmon. Astringent persimmons contain very high levels of soluble tannins and are unpalatable (or "furry" tasting) if eaten before softening. The astringency of tannins is removed through ripening by exposure to light over several days, wrapping the fruit in paper (probably because this increases the ethylene concentration of the surrounding air), and/or artificially with chemicals such as alcohol and carbon dioxide which change tannin into the insoluble form. This bletting process is sometimes jumpstarted by exposing the fruit to cold or frost which hastens cellular wall breakdown.
Persimmons are eaten fresh, dried, raw, or cooked. When eaten fresh, the skin is usually cut/peeled off and the fruit is often cut into quarters or eaten whole like an apple. One way to consume very ripe persimmons, which can have the texture of pudding, is to remove the top leaf with a paring knife and scoop out the flesh with a spoon. The flesh ranges from firm to mushy and the texture is unique. The flesh is very sweet and when firm possesses an apple-like crunch. American persimmons are completely inedible until they are fully ripe.
The persimmon also figures prominently in American culinary tradition. It can be used in cookies, cakes, puddings, salads, curries and as a topping for breakfast cereal. Persimmon pudding is a dessert using fresh persimmons. An annual persimmon festival, featuring a persimmon pudding contest, is held every September in Mitchell, Indiana. Persimmon pudding is a baked pudding that has the consistency of pumpkin pie but resembles a brownie and is almost always topped with whipped cream. Persimmons may be stored at room temperature (20°C) where they will continue to ripen. In northern China, unripe persimmons are frozen outside during winter to speed up the ripening process. source
Storage Hints: Wrap individually and freeze for up to 3 months; when thawed, use for sauces. Do not, however, just refrigerate or the fruit will blacken. Freeze or keep at room temperature. source
Persimmons are native to Asia and popular in Japan, China, Korea and warm Mediterranean countries. They are a winter fruit that remains on the tree even after the leaves have fallen. Canadians can find this bright orange exotic fruit in our markets from October to January. source
A persimmon is the edible fruit of a number of species of trees in the genus Diospyros in the ebony wood family (Ebenaceae). The word Diospyros means "the fruit of the gods" in ancient Greek. As a tree, it is a perennial plant. The word persimmon is derived from putchamin, pasiminan, or pessamin, from Powhatan, an Algonquian language (related to Blackfoot, Cree and Mohican) of the eastern United States, meaning "a dry fruit". In traditional Chinese medicine the fruit is thought to regulate ch'i.
Commercially, there are generally two types of persimmon fruit: astringent and non-astringent.
The heart-shaped Hachiya [pictured above] is the most common variety of astringent persimmon. Astringent persimmons contain very high levels of soluble tannins and are unpalatable (or "furry" tasting) if eaten before softening. The astringency of tannins is removed through ripening by exposure to light over several days, wrapping the fruit in paper (probably because this increases the ethylene concentration of the surrounding air), and/or artificially with chemicals such as alcohol and carbon dioxide which change tannin into the insoluble form. This bletting process is sometimes jumpstarted by exposing the fruit to cold or frost which hastens cellular wall breakdown.
Persimmons are eaten fresh, dried, raw, or cooked. When eaten fresh, the skin is usually cut/peeled off and the fruit is often cut into quarters or eaten whole like an apple. One way to consume very ripe persimmons, which can have the texture of pudding, is to remove the top leaf with a paring knife and scoop out the flesh with a spoon. The flesh ranges from firm to mushy and the texture is unique. The flesh is very sweet and when firm possesses an apple-like crunch. American persimmons are completely inedible until they are fully ripe.
The persimmon also figures prominently in American culinary tradition. It can be used in cookies, cakes, puddings, salads, curries and as a topping for breakfast cereal. Persimmon pudding is a dessert using fresh persimmons. An annual persimmon festival, featuring a persimmon pudding contest, is held every September in Mitchell, Indiana. Persimmon pudding is a baked pudding that has the consistency of pumpkin pie but resembles a brownie and is almost always topped with whipped cream. Persimmons may be stored at room temperature (20°C) where they will continue to ripen. In northern China, unripe persimmons are frozen outside during winter to speed up the ripening process. source
Storage Hints: Wrap individually and freeze for up to 3 months; when thawed, use for sauces. Do not, however, just refrigerate or the fruit will blacken. Freeze or keep at room temperature. source