Fuyu Persimmon Salad Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How to prepare Fuyu persimmons? ›

Try a taste with the skin on, and if you don't like it, peel it. Fuyu persimmons can be eaten whole, quartered, cut like apple wedges, or sliced into rounds (and keep an eye out, as they sometimes contain a seed or two).

Cut the persimmon in half top to bottom, vertically, pole to pole–whatever term helps you visualize the direction. Turn one half cut side down with the “pole ends” pointing to either side of you, just like I'm doing in the picture. Cut thin, crosswise slices from each half. Et, voila!

A ripe persimmon will have a deep orange or reddish color, depending on the variety. It should also feel soft, but not mushy when gently pressed. The texture should be akin to a ripe tomato. The ultimate test, however, is its taste: a ripe persimmon will be sweet and free from any astringency.

Unlike their astringent counterparts, Fuyus are okay to eat when they're still quite firm, like an apple. Use them in sweet and savory dishes, or just enjoy them raw. Hachiyas, also known as bitter or astringent persimmons, should not be eaten until fully ripe.

Store unripe Fuyu persimmons on the counter at room temperature for 3-5 days or until ripe. Store ripe Fuyu persimmons in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.

Trapped inside the tissue of fruits are molecules known as enzymes. These enzymes help fruit ripen and turn brown. When fruit is cut or starts to break down, the enzyme is released from the tissue of the fruit and exposed to air which causes the fruit to rapidly change color.

If, however, you are asking about fuyu persimmons, whether you eat the fruit when they are firm or soft, they are always sweet and the skin is completely edible--no bitterness at all.

But is a Fuyu firm or soft when ripe? Remember this: Fuyu, flat, firm. You can bite into and slice a firm Fuyu just like an apple. They are delicious firm and remain delicious once they become soft.

Fuyus will continue to ripen when sitting on the counter. They will be sweeter and more orange in color the longer they ripen. They are fully ripe when there are no longer any shades of green on the skin and it is fully orange. They will be firm when ripe but can continue to ripen until soft and very sweet.

Ethylene from organic apples or other ripening fruit will soften Fuyu persimmons but this is generally undesirable. You only need to dispose of the moldy fruit, then rinse and dry the remaining fruit to remove any mold spores that may have gotten on the surface to reduce the likelihood that more fruit will mold.

Do you have to peel Fuyu persimmons? ›

Fuyu persimmons are short and squat, and are shaped much like tomatoes. When they are orange, they're ripe, and can be eaten like an apple. You don't have to peel them, but I do. Just cut out the crown, peel them or not, and cut into wedges to eat.

If, however, you are asking about fuyu persimmons, whether you eat the fruit when they are firm or soft, they are always sweet and the skin is completely edible--no bitterness at all.

Storage at − 20 °C and − 80 °C temperatures up to 60 days has been found to be an effective method to remove astringency of persimmon fruits.

The best way to prep and cut a persimmon depends on which variety you've chosen. For hachiyas, use a sharp knife to cut off the leaves and stem, then slice downward through the center of the fruit. Use a spoon to scoop out the soft, inner flesh and discard the skins. Hachiya peels can be slightly bitter.