Persimmons are orange-colored, about tomato-sized fruits that originally come from Asia. They are mainly in season in Germany in the winter – usually they are available from October to December. Persimmons are perfect as a healthy snack in winter. They contain many valuable ingredients – they are especially recommended due to their high vitamin A content. Read more about the healthy effects of the exotic fruit here and learn how to eat persimmons properly.
Persimmon: healthy ingredients
Ripe persimmons taste deliciously sweet and resemble a mixture of apricot and tomato. Unripe fruits, on the other hand, are rather tart. This is because they contain a relatively large amount of tannins – tannins to be precise. The riper the fruit, the lower its tannin content. Tannins have an astringent effect and are responsible for the furry taste that unripe persimmons leave in the mouth. In addition to tannins, however, there are many other ingredients in this exotic fruit. Persimmons are considered healthy, especially because of their many vitamins. Although at 16 milligrams per 100 grams they contain less vitamin C than other fruits, they are a good source of vitamin A: 100 grams contain around 270 micrograms of provitamin A. Vitamin A is especially important for our eyes, but also for healthy skin and mucous membrane cells. Fruit in winter
Calorie content of persimmons
Persimmons contain relatively few calories. 100 grams have 71 calories, a whole fruit brings it to about 107 calories. Compared to some other fruits, however, persimmons are somewhat higher in calories. Other winter fruits contain slightly fewer calories per 100 grams, for example:
- Kiwis (50 kcal)
- Oranges (47 kcal)
- Tangerines (50 kcal)
- Pomelos (25 to 50 kcal)
Rich in carbohydrates and fiber
Persimmons consist of about 80 percent water. In addition to water, they also contain a relatively large amount of carbohydrates with 16 grams. This relatively high carbohydrate content for fruit also explains the somewhat higher calorie content. In addition, persimmons contain about two to three percent fiber, which ensures that eating the sweet fruit also has a positive effect on digestion.
Health effect
In the Asian region – the home of the persimmon – the fruit is said to have a wide variety of healing properties:
- For example, it is said to help alleviate the discomfort of diarrhea.
- In addition, the juice of unripe fruit is said to have a positive effect on blood pressure.
- The fruit stalk, on the other hand, is said to relieve coughs.
So far, however, these effects have not yet been scientifically proven. What is certain, however, is that the vitamin C contained in the persimmon is good for the immune system and that our eyes benefit from the high content of vitamin A. Moreover, persimmons are particularly recommended for athletes because they contain a lot of sugar. Thus, empty glucose stores can be quickly replenished after training. 5 Facts about persimmons – Daria-Yakovleva
Sharon fruit and persimmon
Sharon fruit and persimmon are cultivated forms of persimmon and thus closely related to the fruit. It is not easy to tell the three fruits apart, but a closer look reveals differences in shape: while persimmon has a round shape, persimmon is more oval and sharon fruit is somewhat flatter. In addition, sharon fruit and persimmon have a yellowish color, while persimmons are orange. The fruits also differ in terms of their origin. While most persimmons come from China, Japan and Korea, sharons are primarily grown in Israel, Italy, Spain as well as South America. Sharon fruits are particularly attractive for the trade because they contain significantly less tannin than persimmons. As a result, they taste milder and can be eaten while still hard. In terms of taste, the Sharon is reminiscent of a mixture of honeydew melon and peach.
When are persimmons ripe?
When buying a persimmon, make sure it is neither too soft nor too hard. Soft fruits quickly develop bruises, while hard persimmons cannot be eaten immediately. Because of the many tannins, they taste very tart and lead to a furry coating on the tongue. Therefore, hard persimmons are best left to ripen for a few days. Similar to kiwis, the fruit softens over time.
Eat persimmons properly
Before eating, you should first remove the leaves. If the fruit is ripe, the peel can be eaten along with it, but its taste is not to everyone’s liking. If this is the case, you can easily remove the peel as you would an apple and then cut the fruit into wedges. Alternatively, you can spoon the persimmon out like a kiwi.
