Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Persimmons and Figs
Most of fall's fruit harvest is straightforward enough and familiar to even the most oblivious
of shoppers. But there are some oddballs hanging out in the produce department at this time
of year, too - fruits with confused identities and even one with extremely unconventional
sexual habits. Think of figs and persimmons as autumn's bohemians.
Persimmons are the confusing ones, because they come in two contradictory forms that
to the untrained eye can look remarkably similar. Both are a deep harvest orange and are
shaped a little like tomatoes. Both have a sweet, honeyed flavor. But as similar as they may
seem, they must be handled in very different ways. One is so tannic that it must be ripened
until it is almost custardy before it can be approached safely, at which point it is among the
sweetest fruits on the planet. The other is at its best when it is crisp, but truth to tell, it can
seem a little bland next to its kin.
The first type of persimmon is called the Hachiya, and when it is immature, it contains a
tremendous concentration of dissolved tannins that are puckeringly astringent. You'll know
this persimmon because it is shaped like a large acorn. Although it must be softened, you
will usually buy it firm. (When it is ripe, it is so delicate that it will split like an overfilled
water balloon.) Softening it takes no special trick, though. Just leave it at room temperature
for a couple of days. The fruit is ready when it feels squishy (and if you're lucky, it may
have developed some black streaking on the skin - this seems to go along with a really high
sugar content). At this point, cut it open and spoon out the center. The pulp of a rip ened
Hachiya is about as sweet as any fruit you'll find. The suggested minimum sugar content
for harvest is 21 to 23 percent. Find a peach that sweet, and you'll remember it all summer
long.
Fuyu persimmons are smaller than Hachiyas (about the size of a pool ball rather than a
baseball) and squatter. They look a little like miniature ottomans made from some exotic
pumpkin-colored leather. Fuyus can be eaten right away. They have a pleasant, crisp flesh,
and because they are less sweet than Hachiyas, they can be used in both savory and dessert
dishes.
Hachiya and Fuyu are far from the only varieties of persimmons in the world, but be-
cause they are the most popular in the United States, these names serve as stand-ins for
other lesserknown varieties that share the same traits as far as astringency and shape. (One
