Orient - persimmon - firm - astringent - nutritious
pucker - growers - area - non astringent - dormant
Many foods from the Orient are now found in America and one of them is the Fuyu persimmon. Children in the Orient eat Fuyus as we eat apples. The fruit grows well in California and growers are planting many trees. The growers pack the fruit in boxes and ship them to many cities in the United States and around the world. Growers want more Americans to learn about the sweet Fuyu.
Fuyu persimmons are a "non astringent" fruit and grow on trees. The Fuyus are ready to eat when they are orange in color and still firm or hard. Other kinds of persimmons are grown in the United States. Some must be very soft to be sweet. If you eat them when firm like a Fuyu your mouth will pucker and you will not like them. We say they are "astringent"
Fuyus are ripe and ready to pick in October, November and December. They are ripe when the fruit changes from green to orange. The Fuyu is best eaten when orange and firm. They are crisp like an apple and sweet like a pear. Fuyus will get soft several weeks after they have been picked. They will then taste very sweet and are still good to eat or use in cooking.
As all the fruit on the trees becomes orange, the leaves on the trees also change to beautiful fall colors of red, orange and yellow. The leaves then fall to the ground and the trees become dormant. Dormant means that the trees are resting until springtime when the new leaves and flowers come out. The flowers become the fruit.
You can buy Fuyus at farmers markets or grocery stores. Eat them fresh or cut them into fruit salads. Fuyus are used in many of the same ways we use apples. Eat this nutritious fruit that provides your body with vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
CALIFUYU
California Fuyu Growers Association
P.O. Box 1301 Valley Center, CA 92082
Email: jlbathgate@worldnet.att.net