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Like many fruits, persimmons are sweet and juicy, and excellent eaten by themselves. I love persimmons, and don’t get to eat them as often as I wish I could. But what else can you do with them besides eating them like an apple? Turns out, there are many ways to use persimmons, in both sweet and savory recipes.
Persimmons can be broadly categorized as either astringent, or non-astringent. This is key in how to use persimmons in any recipe. I’m going to focus on the two most common varieties in the United States, but there are many North American and Asian varieties out there to try. I am very lucky in that Northern California grows all different kinds, and I’m able to pick them up in the fall and winter at the farmers market.
Wait! Hold on! What is Astringency?
Astringent chemicals cause body tissues to shrink and is commonly perceived as a dry, sandpaper-y mouthfeel. Some people also describe the feeling of their tongue being furry. In food, some of the most common astringents are tannins. Tannins are found in tea (especially black tea), red wine, and our subject today, persimmons. Other astringents can be found in banana peels, rhubarb, and quince.
While astringency is not one of the five basic tastes, it can greatly contribute to how we perceive taste in general. It is why most people find over-steeped black tea unappetizing. And in persimmons, the astringent varieties are basically unpalatable until they are ripe.
Both astringent and non-astringent persimmons have tannins present, but the concentration of tannins in the non-astringent varieties is much lower. This means that the non-astringent
Hachiya (Astringent)
Ripe Hachiya persimmons are yellow-orange in color, and have an elongated shape with a pointy end.
Flavor and Texture
Hachiya persimmons taste like a mix of brown sugar and apricots. They pair extremely well with warm spices, like cinnamon and nutmeg.
When Hachiya persimmons are ripe, they are almost jelly-like. You should be able to scoop the flesh out with a spoon. This may be the one time you’re looking for the fruit to be extremely soft and almost smooshy. If they are even remotely hard, let them ripen.
Hachiya persimmons have a lot of pectin, so they act as a great thickener in puddings, custards, and jams.
Recipe Ideas
The firmer flesh of the Hachiya persimmon would work well in Martine Boyer’s Persimmon Custard Tarts.
Hachiya persimmons are recommended in this Persimmon Bread recipe from Proportional Plate. If you like banana bread, this is the recipe for you.
Fuyu (Non-Astringent)
Fuyu persimmons have a more reddish-orange color, and are squat and round, kind of like a tomato (but they’re definitely not tomatoes).
You’re more likely to come across Fuyu persimmons at the grocery store. This variety withstands shipping better because they can be picked earlier, when they are still hard.
Flavor and Texture
Fuyus, like Hachiyas, are super sweet, but they have a slightly more tropical flavor. Maybe more like mango and papaya, rather than apriocot. As a non-astringent variety, Fuyu persimmons can be eaten when they aren’t fully ripe. At this stage, they’ll have a bit of a crunch to them, kind of like eating an apple. As they ripen, they become jelly-like, just like the Hachiya variety.
Fuyu persimmons are the better choice for eating raw because they’re much more pleasant to eat even when they’re crunchy.
Recipe Ideas
David Tanis’s Persimmon Salad with Pomegranate and Walnuts is a great match for the Fuyu persimmon, since you won’t have to wait for the persimmons to completely lose any texture before using them.
I hope to make Valentina Wein’s Persimmon Prosciutto Pork Tenderloin for my mom. Persimmons and pork seem like a great combination; just like apples and pork. The sweet and savory flavors will balance each other out nicely.
How to Ripen and Store Persimmons
If you have persimmons (either variety) that aren’t quite ripe yet, don’t despair! Persimmons won’t stay rock hard forever and they will ripen on the countertop. Place them in a paper bag and let time do its thing. If you really want to speed it up, add a banana to the bag, but that likely won’t be necessary.
Keep ripe persimmons at room temperature. Do not refrigerate your persimmons, no matter the variety; this can cause the persimmons to become slimy. If you’re seeking ultra-long-term storage, puree the ripe fruit and store the puree in the freezer.
A Disclaimer
There are other persimmons out there than the Hachiyas and Fuyus; there are other astringent and non-astringent persimmons. In general, though, substitute astringent for astringent and non-astringent for non-astringent. For example, the Hiyakume persimmon (this is probably more commonly found in California than elsewhere in the United States) is a very sweet non-astringent variety; use these the way you would use Fuyus.
When in doubt about the persimmon varieties available, ask the farmer. They will be able to tell you if the persimmon variety is astringent or non-astringent (and they may even have some recipe ideas for you)!
