Persimmons. #Do YouFuyu

Fresh Trend - Persimmons: A brightly colored, glossy orange red skinned fruit 

There are three main varieties of Persimmons available on the market today:

• Hachiya:  This persimmon is shaped like an acorn and is tart until it becomes soft ripe.
• Fuyu:  This variety is smaller and shaped like a flattened tomato. It is sweeter and crunchy, and is edible while still firm. 

• Sugar and Spice: Specialty persimmon, looks like a hachiya but very sweet with hints of cinnamon and vanilla.

Watch to learn the best way to merchandise the Fuyu Persimmon in your supermarket.

 

Great health benefits include: 

• Excellent source of dietary fiber.
• Excellent source of vitamin C.
• Excellent source of vitamin A.
• Excellent source of manganese.
• Contains vitamins and minerals including vitamin E, vitamin K, thiamin, vitamin B6, folate, magnesium, potassium, and copper.

AVAILABILITY, SELECTION, STORAGE, PREPARATION

• Availability: Persimmons are widely available September through December, with a peak during November.
• Selection: Choose persimmons with deep red undertones. Look for persimmons that are round, plump, and have glossy and smooth skin. Avoid fruits with blemishes, bruises or cracked skin and missing the green leaves at the top. Select ripe persimmons only if you plan to eat them immediately. Otherwise, buy firmer fruits and allow them to ripen. 
• Ripen persimmons at room temperature in a paper bag with an apple or banana. Store them in the refrigerator when ripe. 
• Unripe Hachiya persimmons taste very bitter and will suck all the moisture from your mouth — not very pleasant. The tartness will go away as the fruit ripens. 

Retailers you will love the creative marketing tools Giumarra provides. 

SUGGESTIONS FOR USE

Sweet & Spicy Persimmon Avocado Toast

Serves 1-2

Ingredients

2 slices of good-quality country bread

Olive oil or butter (optional, for toasting)

1 large Hass avocado

¼ teaspoon salt

Pinch of black pepper

1 Nature’s Partner Fuyu persimmon, thinly sliced

Honey, for drizzling

Red pepper flakes, to taste

Directions

Toast the bread with some olive oil or butter (if desired). Meanwhile, gently mash avocado with salt and black pepper using the back of a fork.To assemble, spread avocado mash evenly on top of the toasted bread. Place 2-3 slices of Fuyu persimmon on each piece of toast.To finish, drizzle with honey and add red pepper flakes, to taste.

• Puree Hachiya persimmon flesh and add it to drinks, smoothies, or fresh fruit sauces. You can also use the puree to make cookies. Juice Fuyu varieties or add to a smoothie.

• Slice Fuyu and spread with Tajin® spice. Eat with a slice of low fat cheese. 
• Mix cubed Fuyu with grapes, pomegranate seeds, cubed apple, and sliced kiwi for a colorful fall salad. 
• Top hot or cold cereal with cubed pieces of bright orange Fuyu. 
• Make salsa with a twist! Add chopped Fuyu, onion, tomatillo, cilantro, and chili Serrano and mix together. 
• Start your morning off right! Add chopped or blended Fuyu persimmons to your pancakes, waffles, and French toast. 
• Have an instant persimmon sherbet! Simply cut off a piece of the pointed tip of the fruit, tightly wrap the fruit, and freeze for up to three months. Defrost the fruit in the refrigerator for about four hours, scoop the fruit, and enjoy! 

http://www.foodreference.com/html/art-persimmons.html

OTHER  INFO

• All varieties of persimmons are orange in color (except for a small, purple Mexican variety).

• A persimmon will ripen well after picking by allowing it to sit at room temperature until it reaches your preferred level of softness - the softer, the sweeter.
• Don't stack persimmons with other items in a fruit bowl as they will bruise easily.

http://www.produceoasis.com/ProductDetailPage/TabId/272/pid/177/Fruit/Fuyu-Persimmon.aspx

You can bite into the Fuyu persimmon like an apple, so we tried that and it was delicious. It has a light, sweet taste with hints of honey. We juiced a few of the Fuyu's and they were delicious as a juice, a little bit closer to a nectar as it was a little thick but not too sweet. Our final recipe we tried was a smoothie and that was hands down our favorite, a perfect fall taste.

Fall Fuyu Smoothie

Serves 1-2

Ingredients

2 Fuyu Persimmons

1 Valencia Orange peeled

1 cup almond milk

Cinnamon to sprinkle on top. 

Directions

Remove the green top and cut fruit in half. Peel orange and place all ingredients in blender with a handful of ice. Sprinkle the cinnamon on top for a delicious fall smoothie.

More information about persimmons:d

• Referred to as "fruit of the gods" by the ancient Greeks, this brilliantly colored edible relieves numerous health complaints.
• Containing abundant fiber, antioxidants and protective compounds, the persimmon has long been held in high esteem by Traditional Chinese Medicine. 
• Native to Asia, persimmon also grows wild throughout the United States, South America and Israel. 
• Persimmon has been classically used to lubricate the lungs, treat bronchitis and calm coughs. The fruit also eases constipation, diarrhea, dysentery, hemorrhoids, ulcers and hypertension.
• Research in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found that persimmon is more effective at healing heart disease than apples. 
• Brimming with flavonoids, tannins, betulinic acid and shibuol, the persimmon is an exceptionally protective food. Betulinic acid and shibuol specifically target and dissolve cancerous tumors, while abundant flavonoids protect against DNA mutations.
• A potent antioxidant caffeine-free tea can be made from persimmon leaves.

http://www.naturalnews.com/041902_persimmons_superfruit_healthy_benefits.html

• An annual persimmon festival, featuring a persimmon pudding contest, is held every September in Mitchell, Indiana.
• Persimmon wood is used for paneling in traditional Korean and Japanese furniture.
• In North America, the lightly colored, fine-grained wood is used to manufacture billiard cues 
• It is also used in the percussion field to produce the shaft of some mallets and drumsticks. 
• Persimmon wood was also heavily used in making the highest-quality heads of the golf clubs known as "woods" until the golf industry moved primarily to metal woods in the last years of the 20th century. In fact, the first metal woods made by TaylorMade, an early pioneer of that club type, were branded as "Pittsburgh Persimmons". Persimmon woods are still made, but in far lower numbers than in past decades. 
• Over the last few decades persimmon wood has become popular among bow craftsmen, especially in the making of traditional longbows. 
• Persimmon wood is used in making a small number of wooden flutes and eating utensils such as wooden spoons and cornbread knives (wooden knives that may cut through the bread without scarring the dish).
• In Ozark folklore, the severity of the upcoming winter is said to be predictable by slicing a persimmon seed and observing the cutlery-shaped formation within it.
• In Korean folklore the dried persimmon has a reputation for scaring away tigers.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persimmon

I highly recommend grabbing some persimmons and trying them yourself. The sweet honey taste is very good and it has many health benefits. A special thank you to Giumarra for sharing so much great information with us about this trending fruit. We look forward to hopefully seeing more persimmon recipes popping up at our favorite local juice bars. I know we will add it to our rotation of fruits in our own juices and smoothies. We would love to hear from you if you try the Fuyu, share your favorite recipes online with #Doyoufuyu #jborecipes

For more information visit Giumarra .