Produce of the Month Guide: Persimmons
Produce of the Month Guide: Persimmons is an informative guide all about persimmons with a round up of 23 delicious persimmon recipes!
Fall is my favorite season hands down, and persimmons are a big part of that. I always feel sad when summer ends because it means saying good-bye to tomatoes and berries, but all I have to do is think about the start of persimmon season and I cheer right up!
I didn’t have much exposure to persimmons until my son came home from school in the 3rd grade and told me about a persimmon tasting that they’d had at school that day.
He told me how much he loved the persimmons, then he handed me three recipes that he’d gotten from school. One of the recipes was a persimmon and spinach salad, so I went right to the store and picked up what I needed to make it.
Six years later, that salad is still one of our favorites.
My love for persimmons has only grown over the years and I use it everywhere I can from salsa to sangria to cake.
They’re so versatile and absolutely delicious. 🙂
What are persimmons?
Persimmons are edible fruits from the Diospyros family that originated in China, where it was cultivated for centuries. Persimmons then 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”.
Persimmons range in color from gold to deep orange, and are either round with a flat bottom or oblong like an acorn.
The most common varieties of persimmons are the fuyu and hachiya varieties, and while they look similar, they cannot be used interchangeably.
Persimmons are in season in the fall and early winter.
What is the flavor of persimmon?
Persimmons have a sweet, honey flavor that’s reminiscent of an apricot.
What is the difference between Fuyu and Hachiya persimmons?
Fuyu Persimmons are rounded with a flat bottom and may be eaten raw when they’re crisp like an apple or soft as they’re non-astringent. When they’re harder, they’re great cut up into salads, salsa, etc. When they become soft, they’re great in smoothies and baking.
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 will is extremely soft). These persimmons are wonderful in smoothies and baking.
How do you eat a persimmon?
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.
Hachiya: Slice off the top and scoop out the flesh. The pulp may be pureed and used in smoothies, baking recipes, etc.
Nutrition benefits
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.
How to store
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.
23 Inspiring Persimmon Recipes
Apple and Persimmon Salad with Chinese 5-Spice Cornbread Croutons by The College Housewife
Avocado Toast with Persimmon, Pomegranate and Fennel by Floating Kitchen
Cranberry Apple Persimmon Sangria by Life is But a Dish
Delicata Squash and Persimmon Salad by Cadry’s Kitchen
Fall Harvest Salad by What’s Gaby Cooking
Harvest Cranberry, Persimmon and Burrata Salad by Half Baked Harvest
Kale Salad with Chickpeas, Cranberries and Persimmon by Delightful Mom Food
Paleo Persimmon Bread by Bakerita
Persimmon Bacon Bites by A Calculated Whisk
Persimmon Cheesecake by Baking A Moment
Persimmon Chutney by Port and Fin
Persimmon Coconut Overnight Oats by Kitchen Nostalgia
Persimmon Muffins by Knead Bake Cook
Red Sangria with Orange, Persimmon and Pomegranate
Roasted Delicata Squash, Fig and Persimmon Wild Rice Salad
Spiced Persimmon Smoothie by Downshiftology
Spicy Black Bean Veggie Burgers with Persimmon Orange Salsa and Avocado Cream
Sweet Persimmon Bars with Brown Butter Orange Frosting
Turmeric Persimmon Smoothie by Vibrant Plate
Vanilla Bean Pear Persimmon Pie by Snixy Kitchen
Winter Fruit and Yogurt Bowls with Gingerbread Granola by Floating Kitchen
16 Comments on “Produce of the Month Guide: Persimmons”
You are making me crave persimmons! Now I need to buy some this week 🙂
And I love your Thanksgiving feature on your homepage right now… such a good idea!
Thanks Nicole and I hope you get those persimmons! 🙂
I had no idea what a persimmon was until culinary school! And I always forget we have a persimmon tree on our property until I see the small orange fruit every year. This guide is reminding me I need to go out there and check on it! And then obviously make all 23 of these recipes because they all sound delicious! Your produce guides are always the best, Marcie!! Cheers!
I knew what a persimmon was before culinary school but I’d never tried baking with them before that. It was life changing! Thanks so much Chey and I can’t wait to try these recipes as well! 🙂
Oh man I want to go to that elementary school, lol! So cool that they introduced them to persimmons. I use to get them all the time when we lived in California but I haven’t seen them here at all. 🙁
Maybe next time we go to Atlanta I’ll be able to find them and make one of these delicious recipes. So much awesome inspiration!
The food tastings were such a great way to get kids to try new things…sadly it didn’t last long. 🙁 I wish I could send you some persimmons!
I don’t cook with persimmons NEARLY as often as I should! I’m seriously dying over how amazing these look, Marcie! I wanna try each and every one of those gorgeous recipes!
Thank you Sarah! I can’t wait to try so many of these recipes too. 🙂
It’s cute that your love of persimmons started with inspiration from your son! I must just glaze over these at the supermarket, because I’ve yet to notice them enough to buy them! You’ve convinced me that I must keep my eyes peeled for them next time I go!
My son was so adorable when he came home with those recipes and he still loves that salad. 🙂 Thanks Katherine and I hope you find some persimmons!
I’ve never had a persimmon, but I think I need to go out and look for some! Love how versatile they are, and when they’re cut, they look so fresh and juicy! Thanks for sharing all of those recipes Marcie!
Persimmons are life changing…it isn’t fall for me without them now. 🙂
Thanks for your detailed post – it was exactly what I needed! I just moved to Israel, where there are so many persimmons, and just tried my first one. After a few bites I started looking up recipes online immediately – they are phenomenal!
That’s so nice that persimmons are prominent in Israel and I hope you find many recipes that you enjoy in this post!
Can you believe I haven’t had a persimmon! They look so pretty but I was never sure what to do with them! Thanks for all the great ideas!
Thank you Kelly and I hope you try them!