Taking a Second Taste of an Ol' Pucker

To be honest persimmons are prettier than they taste. Sort of the dumb blonds of the fruit world.  

 

There are two varieties widely available in the U.S., the Fuyu and the Hachiya. The latter is responsible for the bad rap (if any) the persimmon has received. It is extremely astringent and immediately causes a reflexive, unpleasant puckering of the mouth. The Fuyu, however, a Japanese variety, is jammy and sweet when ripe. The window of opportunity between unripe and over-ripe is narrow- about a day. Their skin is very thin and they become vulnerable when ready to eat. (Be aware of this when transporting them.)  

They are unremarkable in flavor, but filled with iron and vitamin c. Each fruit has a whopping 3,641 IU (International Units) of vitamin A. They make a great textural addition to smoothies. I am fortunate enough to work with someone who has a persimmon tree in his yard. He brought two in for me. This smoothie kicks off the season.  

Persimmon Smoothie 

Makes 2 

1 frozen banana 

2 ripe Fuyu persimmons 

1 small apple, quartered 

1 cup ice 

1/2 cup water 

1 tablespoon bee pollen  

Place all in the container of the Vita-Mix. Start on variable #1, immediately increase to #10, then high. Run until all is incorporated and smooth, about a minute.