23 Persimmon Recipes (& Produce Guide)

Persimmons are edible fruits from the Diospyros family that originated in China, where it was cultivated for centuries.  They spread to other parts of Asia including Korea and Japan, and finally the first plant was introduced in California in the mid 1800’s.

The word Diospyros derives from the Greek words “dios” and “pyron”, which may be translated as “divine fruit”.

Persimmon color ranges from gold to deep orange, and they’re either round with a flat bottom or oblong like an acorn.

The most common types of persimmons are fuyu and hachiya varieties, and while they look similar, they cannot be used interchangeably.

Persimmon season begins in the fall and ends in early winter.

You can tell when persimmons are ripe as they’re very soft and they become deeper in color.

Persimmons have a sweet, honey flavor that’s reminiscent of an apricot. A soft, ripe persimmon is much sweeter than a firm one.

Fuyu persimmons are rounded with a flat bottom and may be eaten raw when they’re crisp or very ripe.

Hachiya persimmons are acorn or heart shaped, and are astringent due to high tannin levels. This means that the fruit is inedible until it’s fully ripe (when ripe, the fruit is extremely soft).

Fuyu: Slice off the top and either slice into rounds or wedges. There’s no need to peel the persimmon as the skin is edible, and it adds a great texture as well. When fuyu persimmons are firm, they may be eaten like an apple, used in appetizers, or added to persimmon salad, salsa, etc. When they become very soft and ripe, they’re even sweeter, so they’re great to use in smoothies, jam and baking.

Hachiya: Hachiya persimmons should not be eaten raw unless they’re very soft as they’re extremely astringent. Once ripe, simply cut off the top and scoop out the soft flesh. From there, the pulp may be used in smoothies, jam and baking recipes like my persimmon cake.

It depends on the type of persimmon! Fuyu persimmon skin is edible, but hachiya persimmons are very astringent, so the skin is usually not eaten.

Persimmons have a multitude of nutritional benefits. They’re high in vitamins and minerals including Vitamin A, C and B, potassium and manganese. They also contain the plant compounds tannins and flavonoids.

Persimmons are also an excellent source of antioxidants, including flavonoids and beta-carotene.

I store my persimmons at room temperature in my fruit bowl for up to 5 days depending on ripeness. When the persimmons become very soft, I move them to the refrigerator and use them within a day or two.

Once very ripe, scoop the pulp from the persimmon. Store the flesh in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Simply remove the collar, then cut out the small core from the top (like you would a tomato). From there, scoop out the flesh or cut it into wedges, depending on the ripeness and type of persimmon you’re using.