What can I make with persimmons?
Top 5 Ways to Use Persimmons Slice Persimmons Over Your Cereal. As the seasons change, so should your breakfast fruit that tops your steel cut oats or whole wheat flakes. Whiz up Persimmons in Your Next Smoothie. Slice Them into a Salad. Get to Baking. Snack on Persimmons. What is the best way to eat persimmons?
How do you prepare persimmons?
- Wash, de-stem and cut the persimmons into quarters.
- Put the persimmons, water and cinnamon in a slow cooker.
- Cover with a lid and cook for approximately 4 to 6 hours. You know they are done with you can squish a piece against the ...
- Now you have three options. ...
- Start mashing them.
What does a Fuyu persimmon taste like?
It has a deep orange color and is firm, crispy, and deliciously sweet. The Fuyu persimmon has a firm texture and crunch like apples. Persimmon tastes even better as it matures with dark, soft flesh and rich, honey-like sweetness.
What is persimmon and how to eat it?
Persimmons seeds are said to predict the type of winter a region will have – and the seed must come from that region. Split the seed lengthwise and look at the root inside. Is the skit on the persimmon good to eat? Sweet persimmons taste best when they’re crisp. A yellow persimmon is edible, but not fully ripe. Do not eat an unripe green ...
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Persimmon Prosciutto Panini from Running to the Kitchen
Persimmon slices add a punch of autumn sweetness to this meat- and cheese-packed sandwich. Get the recipe here.
Persimmon and Tangerine Smoothie from The Bojon Gourmet
With turmeric, tangerines, and persimmons, this recipe has all the orange going on. Get the recipe here.
Persimmon, Radish, and Watercress Salad from Brooklyn Supper
Make sure to use the Fuyu persimmons for this bright, crunchy salad. Get the recipe here.
Cinnamon Nut-Stuffed Persimmons from Running to the Kitchen
Who needs baked apples when you could have baked persimmons? Cinnamon and nuts really bring out the fruit's fall flavors. Get the recipe here.
Persimmon and Rosemary Boozy Booch from My Diary of Us
This cocktail combines kombucha with rosemary and persimmon to make something light, fizzy, and herbaceous—you won't be able to put it down. Get the recipe here.
Maple Roasted Persimmons With Yogurt and Granola from What She Ate
For this, you'll need to slow roast the persimmons to get them nice and soft and yogurt-ready. Consider roasting a bunch during Sunday meal prep, so that you have some for a breakfast parfait anytime during the week. Get the recipe here.
Paleo Persimmon Bread from Bakerita
Stuffed with nuts and spices, this bread is both a great way to take advantage of persimmons, and get a bit of protein and fiber. Get the recipe here.
What Are Persimmons?
When we called them mysterious berries, it wasn’t a metaphor. Morphologically, persimmons are berries (alas, this is not widely known, as with tomatoes). They grow in great numbers on the apple-like branches of the Diospyros kaki, also known as the Oriental persimmon tree, which can reach up to 20-30 ft. tall.
When are Persimmons in Season?
The fruit matures in late fall. Because persimmons can stay on the tree until winter, they are in season from October through January and even February. Each season, you’ll find local as well as imported varieties on the market.
Types of Persimmons
Some of the leading U.S. cultivars of Oriental persimmons are Fuyu, Fuyugaki, Hachiya, Chocolate, Eureka, Jiro, and Tanenashi. Some are edible when firm and crisp, like the Fuyu persimmon. Others like Hachiya need time to soften after harvest and are best eaten when they feel almost over-ripe.
Fuyu vs. Hachiya
Fuyu persimmons account for approximately 80% of the persimmon market. A Fuyu is squat and stubby in shape, kind of like a flattened apple. It’s also hard like one, boasting a spicy-sweet flavor with unique tropical and cinnamon hints.
How to Use Fuyu & Hachiya
Fuyu persimmons serve a multi-purpose use. They’re best eaten raw or sliced and added to salads, cereal, smoothies, but they are also suitable for baking and roasting.
What is the Sweetest Persimmon Variety?
One of the sweetest persimmon varieties is Fuyu, which can be consumed when firm. On the other hand, Hachiya persimmons only get their characteristic sweetness at peak maturity, when the fruit feels like an overripe tomato. So don’t be afraid if it feels a bit too soft!
How to Store Persimmons
Ripe persimmons are best eaten or prepared right away, but you can also refrigerate them for one or two more days.
What Is a Persimmon?
Even though some varieties of persimmons look just like small tomatoes, they're actually a type of berry. They grow on fruit trees and, depending on the variety, can range in color from light orange to dark reddish-orange.
Popular Types of Persimmons
Though there are more than 100 persimmon varieties, you'll usually see two types of persimmons in stores: hachiya and fuyu. Hachiya persimmons look like large, long acorns with yellow-orange to red-orange skin.
How to Choose Persimmons
Both persimmon varieties are common in grocery stores when they're in season, and you should always look for fruits that have shiny, smooth skin without any blemishes or bruises. It's normal for ripe hachiya persimmons to have a few black streaks or spots on their skins.
How to Store Persimmons
Unripe hachiya and fuyu persimmons should both be stored at room temperature. If you want them to ripen a little quicker, you can try placing the fruits in a paper bag with a banana or apple and storing them on the counter. Bananas and apples both produce ethylene gas, which can speed up the ripening process.
How to Eat a Persimmon
The best way to prep and cut a persimmon depends on which variety you bought. For hachiya persimmons, use a sharp knife to cut off the leaves and stem, then slice downward through the center of the fruit. Use a spoon to scoop out the soft, inner flesh of the fruit. Discard the skins; hachiya peels can be slightly bitter.
Persimmon Benefits
Persimmons are not only delicious, but also good for you. These small fruits have an impressive amount of nutrients, including vitamin C, potassium, fiber, manganese, and about 55% of your daily recommended intake of vitamin A. Persimmons are also a good source of antioxidants, which may help reduce the risk of some chronic diseases.
Persimmon and Bresaola Bites
Wedges of firm fuyu persimmon wrapped in paper-thin slices of bresaola (an Italian air-dried beef) are a contemporary twist on prosciutto and melon. No recipe required.
Steamed Persimmon Pudding
In the style of traditional English winter puddings, this spiced cake is steamed slowly on the stovetop and served warm. Soft (to the point of mushy) Hachiya persimmons with their deep, sweet flavor are used in the batter. Once the cake is cooked and turned out of its mold it can be garnished with dried Fuyu persimmon slices.
Persimmon and Brie Crostini
Simple yet sophisticated, these no-recipe toasts are the ultimate fruit and cheese appetizer. A quick turn under the broiler brings out the flavor of the persimmon, and turns the cheese perfectly melty.
Persimmon, Beet, and Citrus Salad
The best salads are a medley of textures, flavors, and colors. Arrange all the ingredients for this one as a composed salad, or simply toss together. The sweetness of fuyu persimmons and beets balances the sunny acidity of citrus and crisp, bitter greens, hitting all the notes.
Frozen Persimmon Custard
The best one-ingredient fall dessert and another no-recipe needed persimmon idea. Firm Fuyu persimmons can be frozen for eight hours (or up to a month), which softens and preserves them. To serve, cut off the tops with a serrated knife and spoon out the sweet, custard-like frozen fruit.
Pork with Persimmons and Mustard Greens
A pork roast with greens and persimmons makes a beautiful—and simple— autumn dinner. Use firm or semi-firm fuyu persimmons; there's time for them to soften in the oven, where they'll be seasoned with sizzling pork fat before being splashed with an amber, nutty Marsala wine.
Persimmon Compote
Poached in a bewitchingly spiced syrup with cinnamon and star anise, firm or semi-firm Fuyu persimmons will be a treat spooned over vanilla ice cream. Serve warm or make ahead and store in the refrigerator.
Persimmon Pudding
Serve this rich cake-like dessert with either whipped cream or caramel sauce.
Persimmon Cookies II
This is a good recipe for persimmon cookies. These cookies are wonderfully sweet and delicious.
Fuyu Persimmon Pie
This one-of-a-kind pie is made with sliced Fuyu persimmons and the delicious fall flavors of cinnamon and brown sugar.
Persimmon Bars
Persimmon bars as done by my husband's grandmother for years. A family holiday favorite. Sweet frosting tops these delicious cakes.
Butternut Squash Soup with Persimmon
Persimmon adds an extra splash of color to this yummy butternut squash soup plus a sweet and fruity flavor. Try it! You won't be disappointed. Use vegetable broth if you like it vegetarian.
Easy Persimmon Jam
I first fell in love with persimmons when I visited Korea. When the fresh fruit isn't available, I use frozen persimmons. It's a nice break from the other jams. Enjoy with crusty bread!
Persimmon Muffins
Breakfast muffins using fresh persimmon puree. A great fall recipe for brunch.
Make the most of ripe persimmons while they're still around
"They look like big orange tomatoes," Craig Koketsu, chef and partner of NYC's Quality Branded restaurant group, explains about a fruit you're about to start seeing at the farmers' markets. Persimmon season is upon us, and we couldn't be more excited.
Worth the Ripe
The first thing you need to know is the difference between the two varieties you will find at the store and when to eat each one. "In terms of size, they are similar to a medium-sized tomato (about two and a half inches in diameter)," Stevenson explains.
Say Cheese
"I really enjoy combining persimmon with soft and pungent cheeses," Stevenson tells us. "You'd think that the delicate flavor of persimmon would be overridden by the cheese, but they just seem to meet up with each other in a magical way."
Jam Session
If you have a sweet tooth like we do, start using these guys in your fall baking. "I enjoy them puréed and incorporated into a cake or breakfast bread, muffins, etc.," Morton, who makes persimmon jam to use all year, says. "They add a great depth of flavor and keep baked items nice and moist.
1. Lemon Glaze Persimmon Bars
There’s nothing easier to graze on throughout the day than a delicious bar. Making them homemade is even better and this lemon glaze recipe is a great one to have in your back pocket for when you need something fast.
2. Persimmon Bread
Simple and sweet, persimmon bread is a great place to start if you’re wondering how to incorporate this delicious fruit into your meals.
3. Persimmon Banana Nut Bread
Banana nut bread is already great for around the holidays but when you add fresh persimmon to the mix it gets even better.
4. Persimmon Cookies
If you’re wondering what are persimmons good for, try out this persimmon cookies recipe.
5. Cardamom and Persimmon Cobbler
Bust out the vanilla ice cream because this cardamom persimmon cobbler is the perfect way to serve up your favorite dessert and it’s exactly what to do with persimmons.
6. Persimmon Risotto With Pancetta and Goat Cheese
This is the type of side you’d normally see on a five-star restaurant menu but you can make it in your own home and feel like a master chef in no time.
7. Persimmon Salad with Apples
Stay on the healthier side with this autumn salad that includes persimmons and apples. It’s almost like an Asian persimmon salad but with classic fall flavors.
What are persimmons?
They don’t necessarily look the part, but persimmons are technically berries by definition. They come in various shapes and sizes, but their overall appearance can be likened to waxy, warm-toned tomatoes. Their coloring exists on a broad spectrum, from yellows to darker red-oranges and even brown or black in some species.
Where do persimmons grow?
Persimmons grow on trees from the Diospyros genus, which includes over 500 species of both evergreen and deciduous trees. Diospyros kaki is the most commonly cultivated fruit-bearing tree today and is the same cultivar that originated in China over two millennia ago.
How many kinds of persimmons are there?
As mentioned, there are several variations of persimmons that differ in size, flavor, and, of course, color. In the United States, the two you’ll most commonly find in supermarkets are the Asian varieties known as fuyu and hachiya.
Which cultures eat persimmons?
Because of their origins and history, persimmons are closely tied to East Asian cultures.
How do you eat persimmons?
Since fuyus can be eaten while firm, you can bite into them like an apple, slice them up, or bake them into loaves, cookies, and cakes. Astringent persimmons such as hachiyas, on the other hand, feel like a water balloon filled with jelly when they’re ripe, which makes slicing them difficult.
Seems like there are plenty of ways to bake with persimmons, but what can you cook with them?
While persimmons are excellent in dessert recipes, they’re also great in savory dishes. They can be used to make vinegar, like Korean gamsikcho, which straddles the sourness of apple cider vinegar and persimmons’ sweetness.
Where can I buy persimmons?
Due to their seasonality, you’ll likely find persimmons in stores beginning in October. But if your local grocery store doesn’t carry persimmons, you can often find them in Asian supermarkets or farmers markets in persimmon-growing states like California, Virginia, or Florida.
