Late autumn and winter is the right time to treat yourself to tasty and healthy persimmons. But unfortunately, it is not always possible to purchase this fruit as sweet. Sometimes it happens that persimmons look so delicious, but you start eating them and your mouth feels sour.
I think everyone has encountered this. What can be done to make persimmons less sticky? It turns out that several truly effective methods have long been invented for this at home. And I would like to introduce you to them in this article.
It turns out that substances called tannins are to blame for the appearance of astringency and viscosity. And to make these orange fruits tasty again, the tannins just need to be destroyed. And this can be done in a variety of ways.
Freezing
What to do if persimmon is very astringent? A simple method like freezing can help here. To do this, each fruit must be wrapped in plastic cling film, preferably in two or three layers. Then put it in the freezer and forget for a day.
After this, take out the frozen fruit, put it on the kitchen table and let it thaw on its own at room temperature. Of course, the fruit will lose its original appearance. But it will become sweet without a hint of viscosity.
And now you can make smoothies from it, use it as a filling for baked goods, or make such a delicious dessert as ice cream with persimmon. And it will also be very pleasant to eat fresh. And useful.
Persimmon: both healthy and tasty! How to make astringent persimmon sweet and tender
Autumn is coming to an end and the first frosts have arrived. November is the time when persimmons , a fruit that is not only tasty, but also has healing properties - a real storehouse of all kinds of vitamins , minerals and other useful substances!
The Latin name of persimmon translates as “ food of the gods .” But persimmon does not acquire its sweet and pleasant taste until late autumn, when it is fully ripened. Until this point, persimmons have an unpleasant astringent effect, which is explained by the high tannin content in the fruit during ripening.
There are about 500 varieties of persimmons in the world, which differ in size, color and taste. Most of them grow in tropical climates, and only a few species grow in temperate climates. Persimmon fruits can be divided into two categories: astringent in taste (however, the astringent taste is eliminated when the persimmon is fully ripe) and non-astringent.
Nutritional and medicinal value of persimmon
glucose and sucrose (up to 25%) . This gives them great nutritional value, but due to the high content of easily digestible sugars, persimmons are not recommended for obesity and diabetes. Persimmon also contains vitamin C , provitamin A , malic and citric acid, a lot of iron , magnesium , calcium , copper , manganese and potassium . In some respects, persimmons are superior to apples, which are rightly considered to be a rich “storehouse” of nutrients. It has twice as much dietary fiber, and, in addition, persimmons contain more sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, manganese and iron.
By systematically consuming persimmon, you help your body cope with diseases such as
Diseases of the cardiovascular system. To prevent atherosclerosis, it is enough to eat 100 grams of fruit daily. Vitamins A and P strengthen blood vessels. Glucose and fructose nourish the heart muscle without causing blood glucose levels to peak like refined sugar does.
Persimmons contain a lot of potassium, an essential element for heart health. For people taking diuretics, which have a side effect of leaching potassium from the body, persimmons, as well as dried apricots, apricots, and apples, are sources of potassium in the body and help avoid taking unnecessary medications. By the way, persimmon itself has a good diuretic effect.
Urolithiasis disease. Magnesium contained in persimmon reduces the likelihood of stone formation due to urolithiasis. Thanks to its diuretic effect, persimmon fruits help remove excess sodium salts from the body, which facilitates the functioning of the kidneys. Eating persimmon helps maintain potassium-sodium balance in the body.
Anemia and iron deficiency anemia . Persimmon fruits contain a large amount of iron, so they are indispensable for anemia and anemia. Persimmon is very useful for pregnant women.
Thyroid diseases . Lack of iodine leads to problems with the thyroid gland. Persimmons contain a large amount of this essential element. By systematically eating persimmon, you compensate for the iodine deficiency in the body.
Cold and cough . It is useful to gargle with the juice of one ripe persimmon mixed with 3 tbsp. spoons of warm water.
General strengthening effect on the body . Persimmon has tonic properties, improves appetite, increases efficiency, and calms the nervous system. In folk medicine, persimmon is recommended for digestive disorders. Tea made from persimmon leaves is very useful, containing a large amount of vitamins.
Oncological diseases . Persimmons contain large amounts of beta-carotene, provitamin A, etc. It plays a significant role in preventing cancer. People who eat plenty of fruits and vegetables containing beta-carotene reduce their risk of lung cancer, which is especially important for heavy smokers.
Persimmons have contraindications
Due to the high content of easily digestible sugars, persimmon is not recommended for obesity and diabetes . Those who do not suffer from these diseases should not overeat either.
Don't forget to pamper your skin
Rich in vitamins and microelements, use the fruit to nourish and moisturize tired, dehydrated skin: apply the pulp of the ripe berry to a cleansed face, leave for 8-10 minutes, then rinse with cold water.
For acne, make the following mask - mix persimmon pulp with egg yolk and apply to the skin for 15 minutes. This mask works well to tighten enlarged pores and get rid of acne.
What can you cook from persimmon?
Persimmons are usually consumed as a separate delicacy; you can give it an exquisite taste by pouring lemon juice over the persimmon pieces or adding whipped cream. It is often mixed with ice cream or yogurt, and used in baked goods, jellies, puddings, mousses, and making jams. Persimmon pulp can also be used in salads. Dried persimmons are very popular in many countries; they have a pleasant taste and after drying they lose their astringent properties, which, however, are restored when cooked, and for this reason dried persimmons are not used in the preparation of compotes.
Persimmons are ideal to combine with other fruits. Chew dried fruit when it’s not in season; it retains all its beneficial substances. Many people even eat dried persimmons with tea instead of sweets. It is so sweet that the top is covered with a coating of sugar.
There are many delicious recipes with the addition of persimmon, but you should remember: cereal does not go well with persimmon, it can cause fermentation in the stomach. It is also difficult to digest with meat.
Persimmon fruits can also be frozen for future use for up to six months. Then you will be provided with substances beneficial to the body not only during the short time when persimmons are sold in stores and markets.
The energy value of persimmon is 70 kcal per 100 grams of product.
How to choose persimmon?
How can you avoid running into tart fruit? If the skin of a persimmon is light, it means it is astringent. There is such a variety - the kinglet, or chocolate variety, which does not knit. It is distinguished by its characteristic dark red skin color and brown flesh with even darker veins. And the more dark stripes on the skin, the sweeter the fruit.
As for other varieties, in order for the persimmon not to be tart, it must be ripe. Ripe persimmons should be quite soft, bright orange in color, and the leaves of the persimmon should be brown. If there are dark spots and spots on the berry, this indicates that the fruit has begun to deteriorate.
The tart, astringent taste of persimmon depends not only on its ripeness, but also on the variety. There are tart varieties that retain this taste even when fully ripe. There are sweet varieties (Chinebuli, 20th century, Fuyu), and there are variable varieties, those that change the taste and color of the pulp depending on pollination. If pollination has occurred and seeds have formed, the persimmon becomes the real food of the gods. If not, the fruits may look beautiful, but taste tart and astringent. Quite nutritious, but rather tasteless. Among the varying varieties is the famous kinglet.
But if you bought unripe persimmons, don’t despair.
There are several ways to help persimmons “ripen”
You can put it in the same plastic bag with apples or tomatoes. These fruits emit ethylene gas, which will help the persimmon ripen faster.
Keep the persimmon in warm (30-40 degrees) water for 10 hours - the tannins, and therefore the astringent taste, will go away.
Another method promotes faster ripening - prick hard fruits with a needle dipped in alcohol.
Astringent persimmons can be frozen. Put it in the freezer, and after 4-5 hours, when it melts, it will no longer knit.
You can wilt or dry persimmons. Dried persimmon is absolutely not astringent, however, if it is wet, the tart, unpleasant taste can be restored.
Comments: Add a comment: Comment added by: Julia Date: 02-12-2008 Following your advice, I put hard and tasteless persimmons in polyethylene. bag of apples. After a couple of days, all the persimmons were ripe and became very juicy and tasty. Thanks for the advice! I didn't know this before Comment added by: Jorj Date: 12/15/2008 Wikipedia pleased: consumption of persimmon fruits is one of the common causes of the formation of bezoars and further intestinal obstruction. |
Ripening in the refrigerator
Persimmons bought at the market or in a store, which are very astringent to the mouth, can be ripened in fruit boxes. And then put them in the refrigerator. It should remain in this state for several days.
Every day, be sure to turn it from side to side and make sure that mold does not form. After all, it is prohibited to eat moldy foods. Ripening in the refrigerator is especially useful if the purchased persimmon turns out to be dense, with a hard skin.
Interesting Facts
Persimmon trees are tall, up to 10 m, have long-term growth and fruiting, and live up to half a thousand years.
The astringent, tart flavoring effect of persimmons is given by a substance – tannin, which disappears as the fruit ripens. Tannin plays an important role in protecting the plant from being eaten by various microorganisms and animals. So we, people, don’t like tart fruit.
In this article we looked at how to choose the right persimmon and store it correctly. Now, with this knowledge, you can safely go shopping to any supermarket or market and buy the ripest and healthiest fruits for yourself and your family. Be happy and healthy!
Always start buying persimmons by checking them by touch: the softer the fruit, the riper it is. The fruit is not allowed to be cracked. The presence of thin brown stripes is evidence that the persimmon has already crossed the line of maturity and cannot be unripe. But the presence of black dots will be a bad sign - it is likely that they were picked ahead of time. The skin should be shiny and thin, almost transparent, and not dense. Determine the natural ripening of persimmons (on the tree) by the dryness of the stalk (tail). A ripe fruit should have a dry tail.
Use warm water
Some housewives recommend using such a simple and reliable method as ripening in water. To do this, the fruit must be pierced in several places and placed in a pan with hot water. Yes, the water should be hot, but not boiling.
As soon as the water cools down, it must be replaced with hot water again. The duration of the procedure is 12 hours. After this, the fruit must be eaten on the same day, since they cannot be stored.
If you don’t like the fact that persimmons will simmer for so many hours literally in boiling water, then you can use the simplest method. I will describe it next.
Interesting persimmon recipes
If there is a lot of unripe fruit, then you can make five-minute jam from it, bake cookies or dry it in the oven. What to do - decide for yourself.
Dried persimmon in the oven
Dried berries are widely distributed in Georgia. It is fully prepared. In our country, you can dry the fruit only in slices and in the oven. This is exactly what an unripe product is suitable for.
Ingredients:
- 0.5 kg of persimmon;
- juice of half a lemon.
How to dry:
Rinse the fruits in running water and let them dry. Cut into slices 1-1.5 cm wide. Place in a bowl, sprinkle with lemon juice and mix gently.
Pitted cherry plum jam
Today we will talk about a berry like cherry plum. Surprise your family with wonderful seedless cherry plum jam. Recipe…
Line a baking sheet with parchment and place the berry circles on it. Preheat the oven to 60-70°C. Place the baking sheet in it for 6-7 hours. Do not close the oven door during this time.
Homemade cookies
For this recipe, you will need a few berries. As a result, you will get a tasty and aromatic treat for tea.
Ingredients:
- 150 g sugar;
- 300 g of premium flour;
- 100 g natural butter;
- 1 chicken egg;
- 1 tsp each baking soda and ground cinnamon;
- 2 persimmons;
- 1 tbsp. l. lemon juice;
- a pinch of salt;
- 50 g each of walnuts and raisins.
How to cook:
Wash, peel and grind the fruits in a blender. Mix berry puree with citrus juice and soda. The mass will noticeably increase in volume. Grind the softened butter with granulated sugar, egg, and salt. Then add berry puree.
Wash and dry the raisins. Chop the nuts with a knife. Mix the two ingredients with flour and cinnamon. Add the rest of the ingredients and knead into a soft and sticky dough. Wrap in cling film and refrigerate for 1 hour.
After the time has passed, roll into small balls. To do this, wet your hands, then it will be easier to work with the dough. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Press down lightly with a dampened fork.
Preheat the oven to 180°C and bake the cookies for 12-15 minutes.
Heat in microwave
Wash the persimmon, get rid of the tail, pour a spoonful of honey into the hole and place the fruit in the microwave for 10 seconds.
This time is enough to deprive the persimmon of its viscosity, but it is too short to destroy the vitamins.
By the way, this method of processing persimmons is suitable for those who suffer from various digestive disorders and periodically suffer from diarrhea or constipation. After a short stay in the microwave, persimmons will not harm even a weak stomach.
In a bag of bananas
This is one of the most proven and reliable methods for getting rid of persimmon viscosity. It's simple. Place several orange fruits in a plastic bag.
Also place one banana there, preferably not completely ripe. Tie a knot and place the bag on the kitchen table. It is advisable that direct sunlight does not fall on it. You should also make several small holes in the bag for air circulation.
If you don’t have a plastic bag at hand, you can safely take a paper one.
After 2 - 3 days, you will be able to get tasty and sweet persimmons out of the bag, which will no longer be so viscous and tart in taste.
Signs of ripeness
Before you understand how to ripen green persimmons, you need to understand what properties ripe fruits have.
The variety of persimmon varieties significantly complicates the problem of determining universal parameters of berry ripeness, but it is still possible to identify general characteristics. Properties by which the degree of fruit ripeness is determined:
- Size.
- Peel color. Ripe fruits are orange with bright and dark shades. The presence of dark stripes on the rind is also a sign of ripeness.
- Pulp density.
- Taste. In ripe berries it is sweet, without strong viscosity.
In a bag of apples
This is one of the most popular ways to ripen fruit. Moreover, apples not only help persimmons to fully ripen. However, there are fruits for which this proven method does not work. This:
- oranges,
- lemons,
- tangerines,
- grenades,
- grape,
- cherry.
The ripening process is simple to perform. To do this, you need to put the existing unripe and viscous persimmon in a regular paper bag. And put the apples there too. As ethylene gas is released, the persimmon will begin to ripen, the amount of tannin will decrease significantly, and the sweetness will increase.
True, it is not advisable to then eat these apples, which were our catalyst - they absorbed all the odors and lost their own taste and aroma.
How to determine fetal immaturity
When choosing persimmons, some sellers in fruit and vegetable aisles offer customers to taste a piece of the fruit so that they can evaluate the ripening process.
If this is not possible, unripeness, accompanied by a tart and viscous taste, can be determined by other characteristic features:
- dense “glossy” peel with no cracks indicating ripeness;
- dense consistency of the pulp, its light yellow color (which, if ripe enough, should be bright red or dark brown);
- when cutting, a characteristic crunch is heard and small immature seeds are visible;
- when pressed, the berry cannot be deformed, since its surface is quite hard;
- a green stalk is a sign that the persimmon still needs to ripen a little.
Eating unripe pulp in large quantities is not recommended, as this is fraught with cramping abdominal pain, heaviness in the stomach, exacerbation of gastritis and even intestinal obstruction (with long-term use). You should give unripe berries to children under 2 years of age with caution - parents must first evaluate its taste themselves.