Fuyu Persimmons - firm ripe vs mushy ripe?

[jpmcd]

i've only ever had the mushy, super sweet persimmons, not sure what type they were

but now I have Fuyu's that I want to wrap prosciutto around tomorrow for dinner

right now, they are orange, not dark orange, in color and feel firm-ish, with slight give, kinda like an almost ripe avocado

are they ready to eat? will they be ready tomorrow if i leave them in direct sunlight? better off in a paper bag?

[Rosef]

Hi all,
I have both kinds of persimmon. Love the fuji when crunchy like an apple.

Try freezing the others after totally ripe. Then, run them under warm water to remove the skin with your hands. Slice and eat like a natural sorbet. Yum. Or, of course, bake with them or put them in a smoothie.

They will ripen if picked when green if they are left alone. But they will never be as nice as allowed to orange up on the tree.

[Rosef]

Oops. Fuyu, not "fuji." Silly typo.

[Cheese Boy]

Honestly, they both taste best when allowed to ripen and subsequently get mushy.

Hachiya ---> http://www.treeripe.com/Hachiya%20Trans%20low.jpg

Fuyu ---> http://toptropicals.com/pics/garden/05/9/9635.jpg

The Hachiya persimmon is astringent, and must be eaten soft and mushy. The Fuyu persimmons can be eaten as they are -- firm. They sometimes have a vanilla-like taste to them and are easier to cut when firm. When allowed to soften and ripen, the fuyus become much sweeter in taste. The best fuyus IMO are those from Israel. Sharon brand. They're smaller than those from CA, far better tasting, and are often referred to as Sharon fruit. ...See 3rd image.

Sharon ---> http://farm1.static.flickr.com/37/799...

[ronla]

just got my own delivery of fuyus from MY neighbor! I guess I'm on the list? Only thing is that since she just moved in, she wasn't sure when to pick them and many are still really green. Will they ripen for me?

How do I make persimmon bread?!?!?!

[bulavinaka]

They will "kind of" ripen but the taste is best when they are picked after reaching full color. I don't like mushy persimmons so I feel for firmness once the color seems to have peaked. The only downside is the birds and other creatures of urban environments seem to know which ones are best as well.

[rworange]

Here's a tip from another topic on ripening green persimmons ... don't know if it works

One way to "ripen" persimmons that were picked when unripe is to freeze them for a day or two. when defrosted, the texture softens and they are sweeter. This happens naturally when they are on the trees at frost time. Most american persimmons (that are being used by the pickers, at least) aren't picked until affter the first frost because of this. It aso works on the japanese ones as well.

[Glencora]

I have a tree full of green and almost ripe persimmons so I think I'll freeze a couple and see what happens. I'm skeptical about the green ones ripening, but we'll see. If it makes the almost-ripe fruit sweeter that would be great since any frosts we get around here come in December or January, long after the persimmons are gone.

[bulavinaka]

I don't know if green ones will ripen. The ones that are in various stages of orange will though. I am not sure if this is a Japanese wives' tale but you can supposedly ripen persimmons in a container of uncooked rice - they are supposed to come out sweeter this way.

[goodhealthgourmet]

are they astringent or non? astringent [hachiya] persimmons will ripen off the tree...you can try using the old paper bag trick -store them with an apple at room temp, and the ethylene gas may help ripen the persimmons.

non-astringent [fuyu] persimmons don't fare quite as well if you try to let them ripen after harvesting.

[Glencora]

Fuyu.

If I wait for them to ripen fully the robins get them. Actually, I don't mind them taking a few off the top of the tree because their orange bellies are almost the same color as the fruit and it's quite something to see. Still, the firm fruit's great for salad, but I gotta have some really ripe ones for a Thanksgiving pudding.

I have a couple in the freezer. I'll see what happens in a day or two.

[jpmcd]

persimmon thanksgiving pudding sounds good -- what's the recipe?

[goodhealthgourmet]

as long as they're orange, the freezer trick shold work...i was just concerned you were trying to ripen them off the tree when they were still green.

enjoy :) [i'm jealous!]

[rworange]

Well, I tried the freezer thing. While it softened it didn't remove all the astringency. It was ok, but still puckery. Off to try burying one in rice.

[Glencora]

Did you try it with a fuyu? I think it's worth doing if you want to cook with them, but not if you want to eat them plain or raw in a salad.

[augustiner]

hachiya persimmons are the longer, pointed variety. they need to go so soft that they seem overripe, even off. otherwise, the word "astringent" is barely adequate to describe their flavor. the fuyus should be fine. still, i've never understood their popularity, especially in east asian countries like korea. they have an aftertaste that i sometimes find hard to appreciate, though the initial flavor, when ripe, is uniquely sweet and tasty. but that's just me.

[bitsubeats]

I think it's because of the texture, it's super crunchy

does anyone know which persimmons are usually dried and which ones are included in that korean traditional tea with the cinnamon and pine nuts? I believe it's the astringent one

[goodhealthgourmet]

yes, the hachiya persimmon is the one that is dried...and actually it's the dried hachiya that's traditionally used in the korean tea known as ghamnip cha.

[bitsubeats]

I was thinking of soo jeung gwa, is that the same thing?

[goodhealthgourmet]

nope, actually we have a little confusion here.

ghamnip cha is basic persimmon tea..but i just realized you mentioned the cinnamon & pinenuts...that IS soo jeung gwa, but as far as i know, it's technically a mixed punch, not a brewed tea...although i guess you could drink it heated.

hope that clarifies it...?

[hannaone]

I thought that ghamnip cha (감잎차) was made using the dried leaves instead of the fruit.

[goodhealthgourmet]

once again, my fast typing got me into trouble! :)

yes, you're absolutely right...the dried leaves are used in ghamnip cha, and the dried fruit is used in soo jeong gwa.

i've GOT to learn to slow down when i type my posts.

[hannaone]

I thought I was confused LoL.
So many of the Korean drinks labled "cha" Are made from the fruit, some are made from a combination of fruit and leaves, and some just leaves.

[Emme]

yup. i just bought a few fuyus (at 2 bucks a pop, mind you!) and they're firm, a rich orange, especially on the bottom, and ready to eat... i even got help from the fruit man to pick 'em.

the hachiyas are definitely meant to be eaten softer, esp since they're astringent, and when not ripe... yipe.

[bulavinaka]

Geez, Emme - plant a persimmon tree if you have a yard - they are one of the easiest, most productive and most beautiful fruit trees to grow in So Cal. The only challange is to keep the birds from destroying alot of the fruit - they know what's good and when. And if you don't have a yard, make friends with those that do have a tree - once you get into the circle of friends who get persimmons from others, it's pretty much a done deal for life - you just have to make sure that you reciprocate and give something as well every so often - maybe persimmon bread!

[goodhealthgourmet]

now that's a very appealing proposition.

any westsiders out there have persimmons to spare...?

[bulavinaka]

My mom is on one of those "lists." Depending on the crop yield, the bounty can be anywhere from, "where's the beef?" to "getting rid of all of these is harder than shaking loose that fruit cake." Expect an "re:" if it's bountiful this year.

[SomeRandomIdiot]

Yea it's definitely a pain to get rid of when there's 50 or 60 of em all getting soft and mushy at the same time.

[Snackish]

My boss just brought in about 50 fruits yesterday. She said her tree had at least 10 times that. (She lives in the Conejo Valley - So Cal.)

[bulavinaka]

Grab some for Goodhealthgourmet! The trees around the Westside of LA are still chugging along - I'm guessing because of the more definitive seasons in Conejo Valley, the fruit is ripening quicker - and I bet they are devine...

[goodhealthgourmet]

awww, thanks for looking out for me. hounds rock :)

but i'm headed back to the east coast next week & have a lot of stuff i need to use up before i go...so it's probably best if i just resume my persimmon quest when i get home...hopefully by then the ones on the westside will be ready for me!

[bulavinaka]

I'm keeping my eyes and ears out...

[avena]

I used to get my supply of persimmons from my school's botany department free table. Our botanical garden orchard always seemed to have a great harvest. Thats one thing I miss about school...free produce!

[sfess]

You are right. This is such a beautiful tree. We bought ours 3 years ago. It had fruit the 2nd year, but the rats got them all. Now I have lots, but how to keep them safe until harvest time? Birds are not a problem. Please advise. Most of the fruit is now about small ball size and mostly green.

[bulavinaka]

The thing with rats is they are either climbing up the trunk from the ground, or are getting onto the tree from adjacent trees, buildings or utility lines. Protecting intrusion via the trunk is relatively easy. a combination of a metal flashing or cone (aluminum works best - bite-proof) around the trunk. To fortify, you can add something like this stuff:

http://www.nixalite.com/tanglefoot.aspx

Neither are very attractive, but they are temporary and help in minimizing crop damage.

Intrusion from adjacent trees, lines and buildings are much harder. Rats can competently walk along the top of utility lines like we would on sidewalks. They can also jump. Cutting back surrounding tree limbs is obvious. Lines are harder - attempting to install some sort of flashing or cone can be hazardous, and the utility companies frown on any attempts to alter them as well. Buildings - they're what they are - cutting adjacent limbs is about all one can practically do.

[sfess]

Thanks, will try trimming and the metal flashing. some one also suggested covering each fruit with a paper bag. Any comments?

[bulavinaka]

You can cover with paper bags but be warned that it can be a lot of work. People even attach shiny streamers strategically around the tree. Lots of strategies - it's just a matter of how much you're willing to do to protect your crop.

Fuyus are picked when they are hard so birds are not as prone to pick at them. Seems they do prefer softer fruit - it must be that it's just easier to pick into and eat. Be diligent about picking the fruits that appear to have just enough size and color. You're bound to be occasionally disappointed. You'll be on your ladder, looking up at the bottom of what appears to be a perfect specimen only to find that the top portions have been picked at. From my experience, these are the ones that probably should have been picked earlier.

[bitsubeats]

hachiya persimmons are the soft mushy ones you are talking about

those fuyu ones are ready to eat. You are supposed to eat them firm unlike the hachiya ones.