Persimmons

Always a fan of the Hachiya variety I finally broke down and bought a few Fuyu's because the Hachiya's have become scarce. I put them in a watercress, celeraic, pecan salad and had a revelation. Can't remember why I thought them so awful when I first tasted one except that I was expecting the texture and taste of the other variety. It's hard to believe that they are the same fruit.
How do you use the Fuyu persimmon ?

I enjoy eating both types out of hand, and have never used them in any other way.

I'd be interested in hearing what others do with these as well. Both Hachiya and Fuyu are grown around here and the farmers' markets are chock-full of them right now. I've not done much of anything with them in the past.

I have no experience with persimmons. My parents are from the south and all they can talk about is how great the persimmons were when they were a child, but we didn't grow up eating them. They are in season right now and the Asian community seems to have a particular affinity for them. They are buying them by the bags full and I wonder how they are used. Any recipes and testimonials would be appreciated. I think I am going to try to give it a try this week. They are everywhere!

Jo Ann, the persimmons your parents knew are the native wild persimmons, small and seedy, but delicious when fully ripe (astringent as alum if not dead ripe, though). The Hachiya and Fuyu persimmons are Asian domesticated varieties that are either seedless or with few seeds amidst a lot of flesh, and don't have to be ripe to the point of softness to be edible for anything but a 'possum.
Natives make a great persimmon bread, or desserts where the pulp can shine.

The Hachiyas must be dead ripe or the astringency will hurt your mouth. The Fuyus on the other hand are NOT astringent and can be eaten when firm or soft. I've seen them used mostly in salads with endive, pomegranates. pears, nuts etc. Their color, mild sweetness and slight crunch make a nice foil for the better greens and tart fruit.
The Hachiyas can be used in cookies and steamed puddings. They are quite good quartered and frozen into fruit pops.

I was attracted to this thread because we have a few Persimmon trees in the back yard; I have no idea what kind they are but I will look into it. The Persimmons seem best only after they have fallen to the ground and been subject to a heavy frost, then, like Mr. 1000, I eat them right out of hand.

I was attracted to this thread because we have a few Persimmon trees in the back yard; I have no idea what kind they are but I will look into it. The Persimmons seem best only after they have fallen to the ground and been subject to a heavy frost, then, like Mr. 1000, I eat them right out of hand.

Growing up in the South, persimmons were a pretty common thing. As I recall, in a couple of places I lived we had persimmon trees on and around the property. We ate them, but I never developed a particular attraction to them. And yes, they weren't considered any good until they ripened and fell off the tree. Birds also liked them quite a bit.

Didn't really see the attraction to persimmons until my adulthood, when I discovered Japanese persimmons, and that from the hands of a particularly good Asian chef. They can be delightful, yes indeed.

We have a neighbor who is originally from Iran and grows persimmons which she shares with us when ripe. They are apple shaped and orange and eat them like a pit fruit. Very tasty.

[Jenise]

Persimmons are one of my favorite fruits, too. I love both to eat as-is, and slice the fuyus in salads from time to time. They make great breads and steamed puddings of the British type (Ines Nyby makes a fabulous version nearly every Christmas), though I never seem to get past eating them plain to experiment in that way.

Note to Lou and Betty Lu: I posted a plea for help in F & F, as promised. Will let you know what ideas others come up with.

This thread got me looking into persimmon recipes, so last night I made a salad of persimmons, butter lettuce, feta, and hazelnuts. (From Bon Appetit via Epicurious.) It was pretty much as you'd expect from the title, with peeled and sliced fuyus, the lettuce, crumbled feta, and chopped toasted hazelnuts dressed with a vinaigrette made with shallot, mustard, and sherry vinegar. Served it with lasagna for friends and it was a hit.

[Jenise]

This thread got me looking into persimmon recipes, so last night I made a salad of persimmons, butter lettuce, feta, and hazelnuts. (From Bon Appetit via Epicurious.) It was pretty much as you'd expect from the title, with peeled and sliced fuyus, the lettuce, crumbled feta, and chopped toasted hazelnuts dressed with a vinaigrette made with shallot, mustard, and sherry vinegar. Served it with lasagna for friends and it was a hit.

Good thinking--or good recipe. Butter lettuce is, IMO, the best for persimmons, both in terms of the soft texture and the open, generous shape of the leaves.

I'm another total newbie to persimmons. I went over to my favorite market and spoke to my pal there. He prefers the taste of the hachiya persimmons but admits that they take forever to ripen. He says the fuyu ripen faster but don't taste as good. He has taken 4 hachiya home for himself and they are not ripe yet, three weeks later. He says they are ready to eat when they look nearly rotten!

This might be more work than I am willing to sign up for. Do I really need this fruit?

Jeff,
Persimmon is only in season now so if you want to try it now is the time. They really are no work. You just let the Hachiya's sit on the counter until ripe. They do take longer in cool temps. We buy them by the case - # 20's - and keep them in the cool garage and bring just a few in at a time to ripen in sequence. We have them until Feb if careful.
The Fuyu's are ready as is. Their tastes are quite different and each is wonderful. In my mind, any effort is well worth it for this fruit.

And the flip side is that when you can buy ripe hachiyas (as I would at the Bay Area farmers markets) they are so fragile that it takes a master not to get them home without bursting! Of course even the exploded sweet fruit was so delicious I would spoon it out of the bag to eat.

I love this fruit, creamy, silky, luscious, my kinds of textures, but have not found any good specimens in the Northeast.