Fuyu persimmons

I adore persimmons. They are so tasty! They are sweet, but not too sweet, they are delicate, but not too delicate. They are refreshing, unusual and beautiful. And, like most fruit, they are very good for you. Persimmons are high in fiber, carotenoids, and vitamin A and C.

The thing to know about persimmons is that there are several varieties. The two that are most common are the Fuyu and the Hachiya.

Fuyu persimmons look like squat tomatoes and Hachiya’s have a pointed end, more acorn shaped.

Fuyu persimmons are eaten when they are still firm, not rock hard, let them be a bit soft to the touch and then just slice it up and enjoy. (Eat the skin or not, it’s as you like).

Hachiya’s however must be quite soft and ripe to be eaten, otherwise they are very astringent. An unripe Hachiya will make your mouth pucker and you will think you just don’t like persimmons. Have patience, let Hachiya’s ripen and they are succulent and sweet.

Hachiya persimmon

Right now as we enter the winter months, it’s persimmon season in California. I usually choose local and organic food, but I shopped far afield, used lots of carbon miles and bought a case of 8 Californian Fuyu persimmons at Costco for $6.49.

In my persimmon web wanderings, I also discovered you can freeze ripe persimmons for a couple of hours and they turn into a frozen, slushy, sorbet-like treat. (My persimmons get eaten too quickly to get to the freezer).

Eat persimmons, they are a seasonal delicacy!

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Nina Manolson, MA, CHC, LMT is the Smokin’ Hot Mom Mentor and Family Wellness Expert. She’s the founder of SmokinHotMom.com and HealthyYummyKids.com. She helps busy moms look and feel their best, and helps them feed their kids well in a world that doesn’t. To get your F.R.E.E. Audio CD by mail and receive her healthy recipes and wellness tips click here.

One Response

1. Pomegranate Coconut Parfait | Smokin Hot Mom says:

   January 4, 2012 at 7:13 pm

   [...] Sometimes these food passions are phases (like last summer when I made Vanilla Bean Cake 14 times!), sometimes they are just foods I’ll always love (like blueberries), and other times it’s foods that are in season and available for a little while (like persimmons). [...]

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