Persimmons

You can buy persimmons in the grocery store, and they come in two basic flavors: astringent and nonastringent. The astringent kind needs to be soft and ripe before eating, or else it tastes horrible. The reason for this is the presence of tannins, a group of chemicals that are also in red wine and tea. Once the fruit ripens and gets soft, the tannins become inert and the taste is no longer astringent. (A cool way to ripen it quickly is to leave it in the freezer overnight and then allow it to thaw in the morning). The nonastringent kind, can be eaten firm or soft.

There are two basic varieties of persimmon: Hachiya (also called Japanese persimmon) and Fuyu. Jachiya is the most widely available persimmon in the United States, but it's astringent. Fuyu are nonastringent, so you can eat them firm or soft. There's also Sharon fruit (also called Israeli persimmon), which is round and sweet, and like Fuyu, can be eaten anytime.

Persimmon cake recipe: 2 cups Hachiya persimmon pulp 4 eggs 1/2 cup butter 3/4 cup milk 1 tsp vanilla 1 1/2 cup flour 1/2 cup sugar 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt 2 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp nutmeg 1 tsp ginger 1 tsp allspice 1 cup chopped nuts-pecans or walnuts.

Preheat over to 400 degrees-In a large bowl mix persimmon pulp-eggs-butter-milk and vanilla.

In separate bowl mix flour-sugar-baking powder-baking soda-salt and spices.

Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, a third at a time, fully incorporating after each addition. Add chopped nuts.

Bake in square glass pan, buttered at 400 degrees until done-about 50 minutes. Serves 8.

Both the persimmon pulp and the peel are good sources of fiber. A study published in Phytotherapy Research concluded that persimmon peel extract has potential therapeutic value as an antitumor agent. And persimmons have a number of carotenoids and polyphenols that have been shown to have health benefits. The fruit also contains potassium, magnesium, manganese, and iron.