Eating seasonal fruit is a great way to add variety to your diet. A healthy diet depends on eating a variety of food overtime. When I say overtime, I mean a period of time that can be as long as a month.
We don’t need to eat a variety of food at every meal. Actually, this is something we want to avoid. Eating too many different things at the same time is hard for our bodies to digest.
Use natures seasons as a way to help you choose what you eat.
Persimmons have a unique taste that has been described as a sweet combination of pumpkin, plum and honey.
Fuyu Persimmon
The Fuyu persimmon is shaped like a tomato with a distinctive, four-leafed capped stem. The Fuyu can be eaten when it is crisp to hard. The smooth skin of a Fuyu persimmon ranges from yellowish to orangish-red. They are available from October to February.
Ripe Fuyus should yield to gentle pressure. Store persimmons at room temperature. If you prefer a softer persimmon, store fruit in a pierced paper bag with an apple or banana.
The Fuyu is the best choice for salads because its firm texture. Rinse fruit. To peel, cut out the leaf base, and then cut the persimmon in half lengthwise. Insert a sharp paring knife between the flesh and the skin and peel sin away from the fruit.
Hachiya Persimmon
The Hachiya is shaped like a long acorn with smooth, deep-orange skin. If eaten before it is ripe, the Hachiya is bitter beyond words. They are in season from October to February.
Look for Hachiya persimmons that are softer than a baby’s cheek, nearly liquid. Choose fruits that are deep orange with no trace of yellow. If buying unripe persimmons, place them in a paper bag with a banana or an apple. Eat when ripe. Refrigeration is not recommended.
Hachiya persimmons are best eating by cutting off the top and scooping out the fruit with a spoon.