Persimmon Love Affair

What many of you don’t know I have a love affair with persimmons! It started about three years ago when I first moved to Chandler and went inside of Lee Lees. Once you head into this store be prepared for a powerful fish smell that will make you gag. After a few visits you will get used to it. If you never do, just enjoy the variety of interesting snacks and food from the Caribbean to most of the countries in the Asia continent. I went into the store one sunny day in October and seen bright orange fruits, one was shaped like an apple and the other like a pear. I had never seen anything like it before so I was curious and excited. I saw a group of people speaking all kinds of different languages crowed around the barrels of these orange fruits arguing and buying pounds of the fruit. I assumed the fruit must have been good if there were crowds of people wanting to eat persimmons. When I got home I had so many bags of persimmons that I could not wait to dig in. The first one I tried (Hachiya) tasted like chalk it was bitter. I was upset that I bought all this fruit and it taste just like chalk! I had know clue what to do. I was about to throw all the bags way, but I hate wasting food so I decided to try the other one (Fuyu), and they were so good I almost cried. My love affair with persimmons had begun.

The Fuyu persimmons can be eaten fresh with the skin. I usually take the skin of my persimmon and eat them. Most people eat it just like an apple with the skin and all. They are sweet with a floral essence and can be consider a stone fruit so they are excellent for baking.

The Hachiya tastes exactly the same as the fuyu persimmon in my opinion; the only difference is you have to let these bad boys ripe like a banana. Whatever you do don’t eat this persimmon when it’s firm. The hachiya needs to be soft and squishy before you eat it. I learned this the hard way; an unripe hachiya tastes just like chalk and will numb your tongue. Don’t ever eat it firm! They are great for cooking with.

They are one of the best fruits in the world! Gosh they are so good! I actually consider them the fruits of gods; they are better than strawberries and everyone loves strawberries but persimmons are just better. Persimmons have a very short season just like pomegranates. I count down the days when persimmons come in season and so sad when the season ends.

If you see a funny looking orange apple in your grocery store or farmers market go ahead and eat it!