Hachiya Persimmon
Don’t you appreciate it when you get talked into giving something another chance, and that second time around turns out great?
Such was the case with reader Slammie and Hachiya persimmons. In a response to my Fuyu Persimmons post, Slammie had said she liked Hachiya persimmons more than Fuyu ones. I had eaten the former once before, not knowing that Hachiyas should be consumed when they’re very soft, and so got a mouthful of bitterness. But I decided to try them again, wondering how they compare to Fuyus.
This is a Hachiya straight from the market.
And this is it, exactly three weeks later, when my fingers had deemed it soft enough to eat. You can see the skin had puckered.
The rich-orange flesh, which tasted mildly sweet.
That wasn’t a bad thing at all, the Hachiya not being as sweet as a Fuyu. The mild flavor allowed me to really focus on the smooth and silky and velvety texture of the flesh. Whereas I think Fuyus are about taste, I think Hachiyas are about texture. Both persimmon varieties are delicious, and I look forward to having both next fall.
Here is what you do. If you buy Hachiya persimons when it’s still hard, place them in a paper grocery bag with a red apple for few days until they become ripe and soft. When riped properly Hachiya persimon is sweeter than the Fuyu kind. I like chilled Hachiya persimon the best. Imagine the sweet, cool and juicy flesh that’s practically melted in your mouth.
Looks yummy. Makes me want to try it again.
What Chau said – can use bananas, too! LOL! Although my parents will pick them early (birds love them, too, even though they usually place a paper bag around each one to keep the birds from getting them) and just leave them sitting on the counter next to each other to get ripe. They will smell ripe and definitely be really soft. Nothing like digging in with a spoon and slurping all that yumminess. *sigh*
Chau and Slammie: Yeah, I knew that there were fruits I could use to help the ripening process. But because I wasn’t in a hurry to eat the Hachiya, I let it ripen naturally, I guess, with nothing next to it. I wonder if red apples add to Hachiyas’ sweetness? Something to experiment with in the fall!