Many people seem a bit confused by persimmons. Do you cook them or eat them raw? Are they bitter or sweet? How do you eat them? It seems that whenever I buy some, either the person next to me in line or the cashier quizzically looks over and asks what I’ll do with them. Everyone seems to have heard a story about some brave soul who tried one and was rewarded with a mouthful of astringent yuckiness.
Contrary to popular belief, only one type of persimmon is astringent when unripe — the Hachiya persimmon. I won’t discuss the Hachiya today, other than to say that it is sugary and bursting with flavor when ripe and is the perfect base for puddings and fruit butters. Rather, I want to focus on the Fuyu, which is non-astringent, has a sweet and gentle flavor, and is often grown locally. It also happens to be delicious.
Fuyus are shaped like tomatoes and can range in color from light to deep orange. And, unlike Hachiyas, they can be firm when ripe (like an apple). You can cook with them or eat them raw. They’re great all by themselves as a fruit snack, can be cooked into stews or pies, or included raw in salads. Although you can wait until Fuyus get soft before you eat them, I think they are best when firm and crisp. They are also quite pretty when sliced as their seed holes make a natural star pattern. Just make sure they’re not too light in color (and definitely not greenish) as they’re only sweet when ripe.
Persimmons are available all over the Bay Area this time of year. In addition to finding them at farmer’s markets and in grocery stores, you may also see them hanging from neighbors’ trees on walks around your block as they are a popular yard tree. (Not that I am advocating stealing your neighbors’ fruit. Just knock on their door and ask if you can have a few if they have an abundant crop. Chances are they aren’t eating the fruit anyway.)
Here are a few Fuyu persimmon recipes my family and I have been enjoying this Fall. The tart is one of my new favorites, with a sweet and delicate texture and flavor that is perfect for a cold evening. The couscous is fast to make and a great accompaniment to chicken, pork, or a vegetable stew. And, if you’re looking for something fresh, crisp and seasonal, try the salad, which is perfect as part of a family meal and pretty enough to serve to guests.
If you’ve never tried this fantastic seasonal fruit, I hope you give one of these a chance.
Fuyu Persimmon, Pear and Walnut Rolled Tart
Makes: 10 – 12 servings
Ingredients:
1 puff pastry or pie crust
2 Fuyu persimmons
1 pear
1/2 cup currants
1 Tbsp orange zest
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup walnuts
1 tsp flour
1 egg scrambled
1 Tbsp white sugar
Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Oil or butter a cookie sheet and set aside.
3. Chop persimmons and pears into 1/2-inch cubes.
4. Place persimmons and pear in a bowl and mix in the currants, zest, sugar, walnuts and flour.
5. Roll out your pie crust or puff pastry.
6. Lay out your pastry crust on the cookie sheet and then spoon the fruit filling in a long and full line in the center.
7. Fold the outer edges over the center, overlapping the ends.
8. Fold under the ends and crimp so you have a full seal.
9. If desired, brush on the egg wash and sprinkle the remaining tablespoon of sugar onto the top of the pastry dough.
10. Bake for 40 – 45 minutes or until fully baked.
11. If the top crust starts to brown too much, simply cover it with foil and continue to bake until finished.
Persimmon, Fennel and Almond Couscous
Makes: 4 – 6 servings
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped fennel
1 whole Fuyu persimmon peeled and chopped into cubes
1/2 cup chopped unsalted raw or roasted almonds
1 tsp dried thyme
1 cup couscous
1 cup hot water, chicken broth or vegetable broth
1 Tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
Salt to taste
Preparation:
1. Chop onions, fennel and persimmons and set aside.
2. Heat olive oil in a medium sauce pan and add onion and fennel.
3. Cook vegetables for about 5 minutes on medium heat, or until fennel and onions are translucent.
4. Add persimmons, salt, almonds, and thyme and cook for another 2 minutes.
5. Stir in couscous and then add hot water or broth along with a little salt to taste.
6. Turn off heat, cover, and let sit for five minutes.
7. Add in parsley, fluff the couscous with a fork and then serve.
Fuyu Persimmon, Pear and Pine Nut Salad
Serves: 4 – 6 people
Ingredients:
1 bunch of cleaned raw spinach, arugula, or other leafy salad green
1 Fuyu persimmon chopped into cubes
1 pear chopped into cubes
1/2 cup pine nuts
1 Tbsp sugar
Your favorite dressing (I like to use an oil and white balsamic vinegar blend seasoned with Dijon mustard and lemon zest)
Preparation:
1. In a pan, heat pine nuts on medium heat, toasting gently.
2. Sprinkle on the sugar and quickly incorporate it into the nuts so they become lightly coated.
3. Once the sugar starts to meld to the nuts, immediately turn off the heat so you don’t burn the sugar.
4. Place greens, persimmon, pear, and nuts in a salad bowl and mix with your favorite salad dressing.
Related Posts
Fuyu Persimmon Upside-Down Cake
Hachiya Persimmons
Sheri said,
November 15, 2008 @ 6:34 am
I love Fuyu Persimmons and wait all year for the season to come. Now I want to share them with my baby. Does anyone there know how to make persimmon puree for baby food? Does it need to be steamed, peeled? I am not sure how to do it so please advice me.
Regard,
Sheri
left coast liz said,
November 15, 2013 @ 11:12 pm
I have a persimmon cookie recipe that uses pureed persimmons. When I had persimmons from a neighbors tree, I set the Fuyu persimmons on a window sill until they had fully ripened & were very soft. Then I peeled them, removed the middle stringy part & the seeds, & pureed them in the blender. I suggest that you try that. I’ve also cooked them with my apple date chutney, banana, & spices, which is made like stewed apples with its apple chunks. (Raisins can be used instead of dates. Sometimes, the persimmons were still firm, but other times, they were so ripe that they were almost mushy. I never can them because I only cook what I can eat that meal or later that day. You might want to make that & puree some of it for your baby as long as the spices aren’t too strong.
dslincoln said,
November 15, 2008 @ 7:04 am
Hi Sheri — I have never made persimmon baby food before, but found this link with a google search: http://www.ehow.com/how_17049_make-fresh-baby.html. Good luck!
Hachiya Persimmons « Denise’s Kitchen said,
December 12, 2008 @ 11:27 pm
[…] a month ago, I wrote about Fuyu persimmons, which are one of my favorite fall fruits. This week, I’d like to extol the virtues of the […]
Persimmon Recipes « Beneficial Farms CSA said,
November 5, 2009 @ 3:36 pm
[…] Click here for the link […]
Fuyu Persimmon and Date Upside-Down Cake « Denise’s Kitchen said,
November 17, 2009 @ 8:10 am
[…] Fuyu Persimmons […]
Fitness Femme Friday | Nature + Nurture said,
October 28, 2011 @ 7:20 am
[…] color), they are a great seasonal alternative to the delicious yet at times boring apple. This blog has some excellent ideas to get you started, and as always, NPR has a nice recipe as […]
Jean said,
November 13, 2011 @ 11:15 am
I just served my kids the most delicious Belgian waffles topped with cubed Fuyu persimmons and whipped cream. Yummy stuff!
Five Ways to Eat Persimmons | Food & Think said,
December 2, 2011 @ 7:42 am
[…] And I would like to be in Denise’s Kitchen next time she makes this delicious-looking fuyu persimmon, pear and walnut rolled tart. Having spent only one very rainy day of my life in Indiana (on the interstate en route from […]
Persimmon | Celebrity Diet and Weight Loss Blog said,
April 3, 2012 @ 5:54 am
[…] chopped persimmons to a fresh summer salad or eat them dried. Try making a Fuyu persimmon, pear, and walnut tart (you can swap out the sugar for stevia […]
Cathy F. said,
December 17, 2012 @ 12:10 pm
I have a fuyu persimmon tree and LOTS of fruit this time of year. I peel them for the grandkids, but prefer to eat them unpeeled myself. I have been able to use them in persimmon recipes by freezing them first. My method is to peel, slice into 6 – 8 pieces and put in a bag. Remove the air from the bag and freeze 2 – 3 days. When you thaw them, they are mushy (like the other persimmons) and can be used for cookies, cake, pudding–whatever your favorite persimmon recipe happens to be.
dslincoln said,
December 17, 2012 @ 1:06 pm
Hi Cathy — How lucky that you have a tree! So do you put the fuyu or hachiya in the freezer to ripen? I’ve only done that with Hachiyas. Thanks for the tips!
Persimmon Bread said,
January 7, 2013 @ 7:48 am
[…] very soft and pudding like. The fruit is sweet and delicious in many different applications. This fuyu persimmon tart looks […]
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Cinco formas de comer caquis – dimealgomas said,
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[…] la abuela.Y quiero estar en la cocina de Denise la próxima vez que cocine estos deliciosos platos. Roll cake Fuyu de caqui, pera y nueces.Habiendo tenido solo un día de lluvia fuerte en mi vida en Indiana (Nashville-to-Chicago […]