The persimmon is a winter fruit that's probably of Chinese origin. It wasn't introduced into the Western world until the 19th century. The hundreds of varieties of persimmons are classified into two major groups: the Asian persimmon, called Kaki, and the American persimmon, which grows in the southeastern United States. American Indians dried persimmons to ensure their availability year-round. And now you can buy sun-dried persimmons in many natural food stores.
In order to appreciate the taste of this fruit, it must be fully ripe so that all traces of their puckery tannic content has disappeared. If you eat an unripe persimmon, it's sour and will set your teeth on edge. But at peak ripeness, their skin is bright red or orange and a bit wrinkled. The soft-to-the-touch flesh is sweet and very fragrant.
Persimmons will ripen at room temperature. If you want to ripen them faster, place them in a paper bag with another fruit that produces ethylene gas such as an apple or banana. Refrigerate ripe persimmons.
Persimmons are a good source of vitamin A and contain potassium.
Try them raw. Just slice the top off and scoop out the flesh with a spoon. You can also make a compote by peeling and stewing them with some lemon juice and sugar or puree them with some lemon juice and sugar to be used as a dessert or cake topping. They also can be made into jelly or preserves.
They may be found all winter in the produce sections of supermarkets. You'll find that they range in size from that of a small apple to a large orange. They cost 99 cents to about $1.70 each.
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