Persimmons - To love or to loathe?

Gotta love a fruit that works with the room ;)

I'm taking a much needed break from my last bit of Xmas preparations to talk about another seasonal fruit that I think deserves a little more respect : Persimmons (AKA 'kaki' in Japanese). I happen to love them and so do the kids, but for some reason I'm under the impression most people hate them. And who could blame them?  Taste the fruit while it's still green, and you'll be spitting it out in a second.  If that happened to you, please give this amazing fruit another chance!  Much like the pomegranates this wonderful fruit comes around but once a year, so we might as well learn about it and enjoy it.  It's yummy and nutritious!  And did I mention how beautiful it will look on your coffee table or kitchen counter?  Well, that too.

Two things to know about persimmons ...

1. Chose wisely- you don't want to eat the fruit unless it's ripe.  So if the fruit feels hard, leave it on the counter for a few days until it softens.  The softer and mushier, the sweeter (and messier) the fruit will be.  But if you don't like the texture of a mushy fruit, you can cut it up into wedge-shaped pieces and serve it like an apple while still firm.  Different varieties of persimmons have different shapes — round, squat, pointed — they're all beautiful and very tasty!

At home we love them fresh comme voici...

Jiro persimmon - avoid the white core!

A somewhat unorthodox mix but heck...

 it's healthy, and they eat it!

2. Whatever you do: Do not eat the white core!  It's nasty!! There, now you know.

Here's another way of eating the fruit, though I think it works best with the Hachiya persimmon or a super ripe Jiro (as shown in the photos).  The Hachiya persimmon is pointy like an acorn, and sweet as honey when very soft!

Cut the top off...

Cut the fruit in half...

Scoop the meat out with a spoon!  YUM!

While in season, we eat the fruit almost daily as a snack after school. I buy the super ripe ones (in packs of 4) in the 'reduced' section at our local market for a couple of dollars. You see, the mushier the better, and they can be eaten the same day. 

So, you've tasted them, loved them and want more?  There's really one more thing you should know before you go hating Persimmons for another reason: the raw fruit can treat constipation, so take it easy or you'll get the runs have to be treated for something else! Can't say I don't tell you everything :0!

If, like me, you'd like to know more about this winter fruit and discover new ways to prepare it, here are some excellent posts to read out of these 'new to me' blogs!

Out of the Orchard (these recipes are simple and will try them all!)

Medlar Comfits (loved this post!)

Smithsonian Magazine (worth checking it out!)

So?  Are you going to be a persimmon lover or hater?  You'll have to let us know!  And one more thing... Let's stay connected during the holidays thru Facebook, here's my page  :)  I'm off to wrap!  Happy Tuesday everyone!