July 4 2019
sharon fruit /persimmon
I expect there are loads of kinds of sharon fruit /persimmon, but over here they fall into two main categories: the kind that's longer than it is wide, and the kind that's a more squashed, tangerinish shape, wider than long.
The latter are sold under ripe in the big chain supermarkets, and may or may not ripen at home. I've been told by friends from parts of the world where it's local produce that they should be eaten when they look, to our eyes, well past it. The orange skin darkens and goes slightly transparent, the fruit inside is soft as hell, like jelly. The skin is edible like this, still has a hint of that cloying quality you've noticed, but it's reduced to such an extent it's now just an minor note, and an interesting, subtle, part of the flavour, rather than making it feel like your tongue is cleaving to the roof of your mouth! Well, for me, and the folks who told me, anyway.
The other kind is eaten less far gone, and I'm not wild about it for the same reason, although maybe one day someone will teach me something about that, too!
Going back to the more flattened type, if you happen to live somewhere where your can find a little, local supermarket run by folk from/with links to persimmonish parts of the world, they shoulf, on a good day in season, stock properly ripened persimmon, or at least half ripened. Allowing full ripening at home is good, as once they're truly soft and squishy and even sweeter and tastier, they're also very fragile, easy to soli by mistake on the way home! Handle with care...
, but over here they fall into two main categories: the kind that's longer than it is wide, and the kind that's a more squashed, tangerinish shape, wider than long.
The latter are sold under ripe in the big chain supermarkets, and may or may not ripen at home. I've been told by friends from parts of the world where it's local produce that they should be eaten when they look, to our eyes, well past it. The orange skin darkens and goes slightly transparent, the fruit inside is soft as hell, like jelly. The skin is edible like this, still has a hint of that cloying quality you've noticed, but it's reduced to such an extent it's now just an minor note, and an interesting, subtle, part of the flavour, rather than making it feel like your tongue is cleaving to the roof of your mouth! Well, for me, and the folks who told me, anyway.
The other kind is eaten less far gone, and I'm not wild about it for the same reason, although maybe one day someone will teach me something about that, too!
Going back to the more flattened type, if you happen to live somewhere where your can find a little, local supermarket run by folk from/with links to persimmonish parts of the world, they shoulf, on a good day in season, stock properly ripened persimmon, or at least half ripened. Allowing full ripening at home is good, as once they're truly soft and squishy and even sweeter and tastier, they're also very fragile, easy to soli by mistake on the way home! Handle with care...