COOLER months mean persimmons are arriving on supermarket shelves. This tropical fruit with a sweet honey-like taste is only available from mid-March through to late June.
Persimmons come in two main types that have the same sweet, subtle-honey flavour but two very different textures.
Hachiya persimmons, sometimes referred to as the original persimmon, are juicy and soft, similar in texture to a very ripe stone fruit. The skin is a gorgeous autumnal red-orange and its soft inside can be scooped out and eaten fresh, or added to cakes and biscuits, desserts or smoothies for extra sweetness.
Hachiya persimmons need be ripe before eating, so leave them in the fruit bowl for about a week to fully ripen. They are ready to eat when they are very soft and juicy.
Fuyu persimmons, sometimes referred to as the sweet persimmon, are crisp and crunchy like an apple. They have a pale orange skin and can be easily sliced. They are delicious eaten raw, as a crunchy addition to autumn salads and are perfect for cheese platters.
Being firm, Fuyu persimmons are also tough enough to survive school bag bumps, making them a tasty change for lunch boxes.
Fuyus are best kept in the fruit bowl and will keep their crunch for two-three weeks before softening more like a Hachiya.
You can try the Fuyu variety with this delicious honey baked persimmon recipe.
Serves 4
Ingredients
4 Fuyu (crisp) persimmons
1 vanilla bean
2 tbs of honey
1 cup of hot water
Method
1. Preheat oven to 180oC. Cut persimmons in half. Place bases cut side up in a large ceramic or glass baking dish. Cut tops into quarters and remove stem. Add to dish.
2. Scrape seeds from the vanilla pod, add to a small bowl with honey and stir seeds through. Add vanilla bean to baking dish. Dissolve honey mixture in hot water and pour over fruit.
3. Cover dish with foil, bake for 45-60 minutes, until persimmons are soft. Preheat grill until hot. Remove foil, spoon syrup over the top of the fruit. Place dish under grill for 5-10 minutes or until fruit begins to caramelise on top.
4. Serve hot or room temperature, with syrup and yoghurt or cream if desired.
Recipe from Australian Persimmons
