Thursday, January 3, 2008

Purposeful Persimmons


I came across a winter salad recipe calling for persimmons. Quite honestly, I stumbled a little and thought, "What's a persimmon?" I had heard of them but had never bought or tasted one. I do not even know if I would recognise them at the grocery store, so to save face I did the only thing any honest homemaker would do. I sent my husband! With a cool and collected look on my face just as he was walking out the door I asked him to pick up a couple of persimmons at the grocery store. His reaction was worse than mine! "Persmidons? What's that?" I rolled my eyes and spelled them for him and told him to ask someone in the store or read the signs, "I want two, please," silently chuckling as I closed the door. I was astonished at the price of 2.00 for two tiny plum sized orangeish fruit but simply followed the directions and peeled them and chopped them for our evening meal.

Wow, I am sold! Persimmons are mine, to love and to hoard. They made a delightful color splash in our green salad and since then have tried them to my delight in a smoothie. Yum. AND, they are grown in the USA making them on my OK to buy list (No US banned pesticides.)
They are somewhat high in carbs and natural sugars but topping a salad makes for a moist sweet flavor boost amongst flat lettuce leaves. They are high in natural iron and vitamin c making them a great winter addition to our diets.

Persimmons are delicious whether eaten fresh, dried, or cooked. As a fresh fruit, they are unbelievable, perhaps the cross between a crunchy peach, and an sweet apple. However you might describe them, the taste of a fully ripened persimmon is superb-incomparable to any other fruit. (Persimmons are featured in the soon to be released book, "101 Foods that could Save your Life,")

Today, I found them at my local Winco grocery store chain (standing for Washington, Idaho, Nebrasca and Colorado,) for only 28 cents each! I filled my plastic bag with visions of what else I can try?
Hmmm,....How about homemade persimmon ice cream? I'll let you know how that turns out.

2 comments:

Amy Joy said...

Hey Mom - you are marvelous... I didn't even know that you started this blog yet! Thanks for sending the link! I'll have you know, though, that your only daughter DID know what persimmons were....OK OK, so I knew what they were, but might not have been able to call up the name if asked...
love you
Amy

Stephanie said...

Hi, it's me! I knew what persimmons were, too- they are wildly popular in Japan and many of our students gave them to us as gifts (however, if I hadn't lived in Japan, I wouldn't have had a clue, I'm quite sure! :)

Good post- maybe I'll have to get some on my next shopping trip!

Stephanie @ Keeper of the Home