299329 Mon Nov 29 16:43:42 -0800 2004 5 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 1657761 OK, there is NOTHING more disgusting than biting into an unripe hachiya persimmon. Of course, when ripe, they are pretty darn tasty. So, how exactly do I know when the thing is totally ripe? Should it have a few black spots? Should it looks really black and rotting? No black spots at all and just sort of soft? (I have been burned on this before, biting into a disguised unripe part and feeling like my mouth was full of cotton balls for an hour). Mon Nov 29 16:43:42 -0800 2004 0 josephsm 1 1657772 I've had luck with them being really, really soft, but no black spots. I usually throw them into a freezer until they're partially frozen, then eat with a spoon. Mon Nov 29 17:51:51 -0800 2004 1657761 0 Caitlin Wheeler 1 1657781 The skin never stops being astringent. Never bite into one, period. When soft, cut in half and eat pulp with spoon. Mon Nov 29 20:25:45 -0800 2004 1657761 0 Jerome 1 1657810 Yeah, this is a tough one...made even more difficult because of uneven shipping and refrigeration, often rendering the most beautiful of autumn fruits useless. I bet you mean a HACHIYA (the pointed type)...When purchased, a persimmon should have a uniform bright orange appearance...a few small black spots or even streaks are OK, not however if they are holes. Just a hint of yielding to gentle pressure is preferable, a clue that the persimmon is closer to or even capable of ripening. If a persimmon is rock hard, it's possible that ripening may never occur. If the persimmon has been cut/punctured/slit in any way, leave it be...it will be a failure and likely rot out. When the persimmon has reached a delicate translucency, its skin is oh-so-supple, still bright but a mellower shade of orange, AND there is complete all-round softness (not bursting squishyness), your Hachiya is ready...carefully remove the stem part and clean around the base, then cut the persimmon in quarters, from the top down, revealing a long-grained interior. You can choose to peel the skin off (sloppy-going) or leave it on - a truly ripe fruit has no ill-tasting skin. Enjoy. (Some persimmons have a few long black seeds...remove them). Overripe persimmons are excellent mixed with plain yogurt or in shakes. Look for California-grown fruit throughout autumn...the off-season variety is inferior. FUYU persimmons (short & squat) have a milder flavor, and can be eaten hard, the skin is tougher. Tue Nov 30 00:53:48 -0800 2004 1657761 0 Mike R. 2 1657878 I have tried both type, and I wont eat the pointed ones anymore. The FUYU, i'm sure they have other names, are the best, hard or soft they don't give that cotton ball feeling, urgh i can't stand that. I buy them local that makes a big difference, if I buy it at the supermarket I never get good ones. Tue Nov 30 18:14:31 -0800 2004 1657810 0 LoriB 1 1657824 I wouldn't buy one if it wasn't already very soft. In my experience, the hard ones in the store were picked too soon and don't ever ripen properly. They go straight from being hard to being rotten. I grew up with a persimmon tree in my backyard and that was the last time I had a good one until I moved to Spain. Here they are huge and you can buy them soft and ready to eat in the store with no discoloration, just a bright orange color. Tue Nov 30 08:54:13 -0800 2004 1657761 0 butterfly