When my kids were little and used to grocery shop with me, I’d let them pick a new fruit or vegetable just to get them to try new things.  While shopping for asparagus and salad greens at Pipkins this weekend, that  memory came tumbling back. I realized that I couldn’t recall ever having eaten a persimmon.  Pipkins had a basket of them so we brought one home and ate it after Easter dinner. It was slightly firm, nicely juicy and tasted very tropical. The color is gorgeous. 

I looked persimmons up in my handy Food Lovers Companion:

The most widely available persimmon in the United States is the Hachiya, also called Japanese persimmon . It’s large (up to 3 inches in diameter) and round, with a slightly elongated, pointed base. The Fuyu persimmon is smaller and more tomato-shaped. When ripe, both have a red-orange skin and flesh. The Hachiya is quite soft when completely ripe and has a smooth, creamy texture and a tangy-sweet flavor. If eaten even slightly underripe, it will pucker the mouth with an incredible astringency. The Fuyu, however, is still firm when ripe and is not at all astringent. Persimmons are available from October to February. Choose fruit that is plump and soft but not mushy (the Fuyu should be quite firm). The skin should be smooth, glossy and brightly colored. Persimmons that are not quite ripe can be ripened at room temperature. Store ripe fruit in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Persimmons can be used in baked goods, puddings and other desserts, as well as eaten out of hand. They contain a good amount of vitamin A and some vitamin C.

The persimmon that we ate was a Fuyu and based on their October to February season,  persimmons are more of a winter fruit but I think they’d be gorgeous in Spring dishes. How about  sliced like a tomato into a butter lettuce  salad with a little feta cheese and walnuts?  Or try dicing a persimmon over fish cooked with butter and lemon. Do you have a great persimmon recipe? I’d love to hear from you.