Persimmon is a sweet (and slightly tangy) glossy orange skinned fruit from the berry family. The heart-shaped Hachiya (featured in the video below) is the most common variety of Persimmon. Unripe Hachiya taste bitter so select firmer fruits and allow them to ripen. Ripen persimmons at room temperature in a paper bag just like bananas. Store them in the fridge when ripe and be sure to eat as soon as possible as overripe persimmons quickly turn mushy! The 2nd type of Persimmon, the Fuyu is round (like a pumpkin shape) and often lighter in colour that the Hachiya. This variety is best eaten when hard like an apple.
This delicious seedless fruit is a good source of Vitamin A and Vitamin C and also rich in fibre. Persimmons are in-season from September to December with a peak during November. Their origins go back to ancient China and are also known as the Japanese Persimmon or Kaki. Persimmons were introduced to California, USA and Southern Europe in the late 1880's. Today persimmons are most commonly grown in China, Japan, Korea, Italy, Brazil, USA, Australia and New Zealand.
Fun Fruity Fact:
An annual Persimmon Festival is held every September in Mitchell, Indiana (USA) featuring a persimmon pudding contest. Persimmons are harvested and used in a variety of desserts such as cakes, puddings, pies and as a topping for breakfast cereal.
Thank you to Liz Crotts for inspiring this article and teaching us how to prepare persimmons! Check out her blog and subscribe to her LizYArtur channel on Youtube for more amazing videos about her raw vegan lifestyle.
