By nature I distrust the Hachiya persimmon (above). Naive to their sinister ways, I once bit into one of their kind when it was far softer than any other fruit I consider palatable, but it was Not Soft Enough! Anyone who has fallen victim to the Hachiya persimmon, who has bitten into them when they retain even the slightest hint of cellular structure knows that the experience is cruel. For the uninitiated, imagine that chalkiness that coats your mouth when you eat a banana that is a little bit too green and then multiply that slight unpleasantness by a million until it is unusual punishment.
I did, however, chance upon a strategy to render even the meanspirited Hachiya harmless. The trick: freeze it. Pop your persimmon in the freezer for 24 hours, then stick it in the refridgerator (or out on the counter if you're going to eat it right away) until it defrosts, and it will be edible mush. Once the stem-let has been removed, this blob can be plopped into oatmeal as a pretty decent sweetener. Or you could whip up some persimmon pudding.
Nevertheless, as someone who prefers to eat most fruits when they have the texture of an apple (peaches and plums notwithstanding), the Hachiya persimmon is not incredibly appealing. I prefer it's friendlier cousin the Fuyu (below). The glorious Fuyu can be eaten raw when it's hard as a rock, just the way I like it. You can toss them in salads or just bite fearlessly into them. Fuyus, in my humble experience, are also not as sickly sweet as Hachiyas, which further raises them in my esteem.
In any case, you have been forewarned. You may now venture forth and enjoy these fruits which may well be at the peak of their season.
1 comment:
one must indeed be careful in choosing one's persimmon! but a good one is sooooo worth it!
my grandma makes this cake called "persimmon pudding" every year that is to die for. it seems to lovely and old fashioned.
Post a Comment