February 18, 2009, - 6:36 pm
Stuff I Really Like: The Sharon Persimmon
By Debbie Schlussel
My favorite fruit is the persimmon, the orange-colored sweet fruit that tastes like heaven if it’s just ripe.
And, as a persimmon afficionado, I can tell you that the best-tasting persimmon there is comes from Israel’s Sharon Valley–“Emek HaSharon,” in Hebrew. You won’t taste a better persimmon, and they are in the U.S., right now. Sharon [pronounced, “Shah-Rone”] Valley persimmons are far superior in taste and other qualities to both the Hachiya and Fuyu varieties of persimmons. They’re also known as the “Sharon fruit.”
And the benefit is that they taste ripe and sweet even when they are hard. You don’t have to wait for them to soften or discolor. Sharon Valley persimmons also have no core, so you can eat the whole thing but the leaves. Persimmons are a high-fiber fruit. And they taste like candy. Very healthy and filling, and your kids will love it.
A study from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry compared apples and persimmons. Persimmons, it was concluded, had more fiber, minerals and polyphenols and could be better for your heart than the apple.
And if you live in a relatively sized American city, chances are that you can find the Sharon Valley persimmon. We’re right smackdab in the middle of Sharon Valley persimmon season. And a ton of them have been shipped to the U.S. over the last month. Persimmons–at least where I live–used to be considered exotic, but now they’re far easier to obtain.
They’re an inexpensive, tasty, and healthy delicacy.
But the season for these fruits is a short one–it runs from December through March. Try some before they’re gone. You’ll thank me.
Read more about Sharon Valley Persimmons.
***
Here’s a great alcohol-optional Sharon Valley persimmon smoothie recipe, courtesy of Joel A. Moskowitz, MD and Arlene Moskowitz and the San Diego Jewish Press Heritage:
For this you will require 2 cups diced Sharon fruit, 1/3 cup of sugar, 1 cup nonfat vanilla yogurt, 1/2 cup Sabra liqueur, 1 cup ice cubes and, frozen in an ice cube tray, 1/2 cup evaporated milk.
Drop the frozen evaporated milk ice cubes into a blender. Add the Sabra, yogurt, Sharon fruit, sugar and ice cubes. Blend (high) till slushy. Should take about two minutes. Pour into glasses and garnish with extra fruit.
Serves five or six.
***
I also love dried persimmons (which are largely made from California persimmons). They’re a great snack, and they used to carry these at Trader Joe’s. But as with everything I like at that store, they discontinued them (the Schlussel-Trader Joe curse). If you know of a great, inexpensive outlet for dried persimmons, please let me know.
Here’s a great alcohol-optional Sharon Valley persimmon smoothie recipe…Serves five or six.
Hummmm……serves one, in my book!
ob3 on February 18, 2009 at 8:50 pm