How to Eat Persimmons

Identify sweet persimmons. Sweet persimmons are usually shaped like tomatoes and are often sold under the name Fuyu in the West. If your persimmon doesn’t match this description, review the persimmon identification guidelines above. You cannot enjoy persimmons if you follow the instructions for a different type of persimmon.

Eat persimmons while they are firm and orange. Sweet persimmons taste best when they are firm and crunchy. Ripe persimmons will be orange or red-orange. ^[8]

• The yellow persimmons are also edible but not fully ripe. Do not eat unripe green persimmons. Blue roses always have a bitter taste. ^[9]
• You can eat ripe persimmons with a spoon. It tastes a little different, but you might like it.

Wash persimmons. Scrub the persimmons under running water. Persimmons can eat their skins, so wash them thoroughly.

Cut the ears of the persimmon and cut the persimmon. Use a sharp knife to cut the stem and ears of the persimmon. Cut the persimmon into thin pieces like areca nut, like a tomato.

• The skin of the persimmon is edible and usually very thin. If you like to peel, simply dip the whole persimmon in hot water quickly. Use tongs to remove the persimmons and peel them. This method of peeling is similar to blanching tomatoes.

Eat persimmons. Sweet persimmons will be hard, crunchy and have a sweet taste. If the persimmon has seeds, remove the seeds and throw them away.

• Try adding lemon juice or cream and sugar. ^[10]
• For more ways to prepare persimmons, check out the recipes below.

Add sweet persimmon to the salad. The sweet, firm and crunchy persimmon makes a great addition to fruit salads and salads. You can add persimmons to your fall salad with nuts, cheese, or pomegranate, or try these unique recipes: ^[11]

• Roast the peeled hazelnuts in the pan until fragrant, about 12-15 minutes. ^[12]
• Slice the anise into thin slices.
• Cut persimmons in quarters, then thinly slice them into a salad with hazelnuts and star anise.
• Sprinkle some Parmesan cheese and drizzle with vinegar. Add a pinch of salt if you need to balance the sweetness.

Make a sweet salsa. Finely chop the sweet persimmon and toss with the basic salsa ingredients like red onion, coriander, and chili. ^[13] If you don’t have your favorite sweet salsa, you can follow the recipe for mango sauce but replace the mango and tomato with persimmons.

Preserve. You can make pink jam like other fruits. For best results, use a soft astringent variety and taste each fruit before adding it to the pot. Just one acrid persimmon will change the flavor dramatically. ^[14]

• You can add cinnamon powder, nutmeg and/or orange peel.
• Peel the persimmons before sautéing the jam.

Add ripe persimmons to desserts. Soft ripe persimmons also make a great dessert. Mix persimmon with yogurt or cream. You can also explore the following options:

• Grind persimmons and mix with cream cheese, orange juice, honey and salt. ^[15]
• Substitute for peaches in a lemon-peach ice cream recipe.
• Make muffins or cookies. The easiest way to find out how much persimmon is enough for this recipe is to use the recipe with ripe bananas and replace the bananas with the same amount of persimmons. ^[16] Try to find recipes for banana bread or banana muffins. Baking soda will help reduce the acrid taste and thicken the flesh of the persimmon, and it will also react with the persimmon to form a very light and spongy dough. ^[17] Reduce baking soda in half or don’t use baking soda if you want to make thick bread.

Wait for the persimmon to ripen. The acrid varieties are usually acorn-shaped and are known as “Hachiya,” at least in countries outside of Asia. These persimmons are only eaten when they are soft, usually when the flesh is as fine as a powder. ^[18] The persimmon skin should be smooth and translucent with a deep orange color.

• Read how to tell the difference between different types of persimmons above if you’re not sure which one your persimmon belongs to.
• If you eat a Hachiya persimmon that is not fully ripe, you will probably miss your life because of its acrid taste in your mouth. ^{[19] [20]} The sensation of numbness in the mouth is temporary. You can eat or drink something and that’s it.

Fast ripening persimmon. Persimmons usually ripen in 7-10 days after purchase, but sometimes it takes up to a month. To make persimmons ripen faster, you can put persimmons in a sealed paper bag or sealed container. ^[21] If kept in an airtight container, persimmons may become moldy. Put a ripe apple, pear, or banana in a paper bag or persimmon container, or put a few drops of rum or other alcohol in each ear of the persimmon. ^[22]

• To ripen persimmons without becoming mushy, wrap each fruit in 3 layers of non-porous plastic. (Avoid wrapping with the recycling symbol book 4 or “LDPE”). Bake in the oven on the lowest setting or just turn on the igniter so that the temperature does not exceed 50ºC. Incubate like this for 18-24 hours, checking from time to time. ^[23]

Eat cold persimmon with a spoon. Put the persimmons in the refrigerator when they are soft. When eating, cut off the persimmon ears, then cut the persimmon lengthwise. Remove the seeds and inner stalk if present and scoop out the rest with a spoon. ^[24]

• The persimmon rind is also edible, but eating the rind when the persimmon is ripe will be sticky.
• Some people like to add cream and sugar or squeeze more lemon.