Fuyu Persimmons (not the Hachiya)
I heart persimmons.
Seriously, I want to marry the persimmon (well, along with lemon curd).
In Los Angeles, "fall" isn't a season of frost (for example, yesterday was over 80 degrees!) and changing leaves (soooo jealous of that!) Each year, fall begins with the appearance of my beloved fuyu persimmons.
Okay. There are TWO types of persimmons and it is soooo important to know the difference! The
Fuyu persimmon can be eating hard like an apple or soft for pulp. However, the
Hachiya persimmon is shaped like a human heart or acorn and can only be eaten fully ripe and soft. If you bite into a Hachiya before it is soft, you will, sadly, probably never eat a persimmon again. The unripe Hachiya tastes like chalk and scar you for life.
My parents have a
FUYU persimmon tree in their backyard. My paternal grandmother gave one tree to each of her 4 boys (leaving out the 2 girls!) They've had it since I was a little girl. Now that my dad is 76 years old, I've been helping them climb the ladder and pick the
kaki (Japanese for persimmon).
You can eat fuyu persimmons like an apple. I like to peel the skin. It's a perfect snack. During persimmon seasons, I'm averaging about two a day!
They are also brilliant (I mean brilliant) in salads. Oh my gosh delicious. This is a baby spinach, fuyu persimmon, pomegranate and goat cheese salad with a citrus vinaigrette. It's perfect for Thanksgiving!
We also like to dry persimmons. I use a mandolin to make uniform slices of the persimmons. After my dad's old dehydrator finally died, I bought him an early Christmas
gift. The different colors are due to ripeness of the fruit: darker orange = more ripe.
4 hours later! Little pieces of natural candy.
(To Pam Jam: I'm mailing these to you tomorrow!)
You should definitely try them! What do they taste like? Since I've been eating them forever...to me, they taste like persimmons! (Know what I mean? What does an orange taste like? Well, like an orange!) Here is my attempt to describe the fuyu persimmon:
sorta like a cinnamon apple.
crisp, rich flavorful fall fruit.
eaten hard or soft. never mealy.
I'm so glad they are readily available now...they used to be an Asian family secret :) But, like sushi, edamame, wasabi, Panko breadcrumbs, and ramen, they are now mainstream. Try the fuyu persimmon! You won't be disappointed.
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20 comments:
Oooo! I saw your persimmons and couldn't not say how jealous I am! I tried these for the first time when I lived in Germany and could not get enough! I especially loved them in salads with yogurt/herb dressings! Thanks for the great idea of drying them! If I ever find them again I will definately do this!
The salad looks nice and Fall like. And I don't think I have every had a dried persimmons.
Thank you..I am a nerd and have been eagerly awaiting your persimmon post since you mentioned them in the cookie recipe recently. That is amazing. I am going to stalk the Whole Foods and be on the lookout for them. Thank you for that post!
Ah, persimmons...yet another thing I miss about California! Someone is probably dumping a trug full of them on my mother's doorstep as I write. We get some shriveled ones for $2 each here in CT, but they're not worth it. But maybe in Sunset persimmon bread...
wow i didn t know there are two types of persimons and how many uses you can make with them . W call them Kaki here too :)
Gorgeous salad!! And I love dried fruit, I bet the persimmons are amazing!!
We were just at the san francisco farmer's market this weekend & the persimmons looked beautiful, I wish we could fly a whole bunch home to Minneapolis. They gave me a bunch of recipes to bake with them too
I have never eaten a persimmon, but I love their color and I think they're beautiful.
I even had a t-shirt that was persimmon colored, does that count? no?
I love the varying shades of dehydrated fruit. Thanks for explaining the two types, so when I do see them in the store, I'll get the right ones.
I tried to do something similar the other day, but I think the secret to making them like yours is to have the dehydrator. Nice!
Oh my goodness, maybe this is why I don't like persimmon. The first time I ate it (yes I didn't know anything about them and bought them for myself) it tasted like chalk. So I never tried it again.
Always wondered why people liked it so much. Now I think I'll have to try it again. Thanks for the info.
Okay, I've been seeing persimmons at the farmers' market and have been too scared to try/buy them (I know, I know. After reading your post, I'll definitely try some this week. Thanks!
Oh, I love persimmons! I'm so jealous you have a "source." I love them raw but have used them in baked goods with great success too.
I love fuyu persimmions. They are my favorite. You're so lucky to have a tree in your backyard! It really is feeling like fall....
In Brazil we eat this all the time. We call them Kaki. I LOVE this fruit but never had a really juicy soft one here in the states
I LOVE persimmons, and can't get enough when they're in season (I've actually found the best quality and price at the Korean markets in k-town). I bet your home-dried persimmons are delicious...they look wonderful!
Mary, thanks for such an enjoyable post!!
I've never had a persimmon, but I love this post SO MUCH.
Beautiful! I'm crazy for persimmons too, especially the fuyu ones. I like 'em crunchy :)
oh these are great! i love persimmons. :)
kawaii!! your persimmon "chips" are so cute. i love that you love persimmons... !
During my trip to Japan I tried them for the first time and loved them...both fresh and dried. While the one I bought in my hometown looked ripe, it did have a chalky taste. How can I tell when the fruit is ripe? Thanks for some guidance to buying and enjoying this amazing fruit.
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