Have you ever picked a delicious persimmon at your local grocery store or farmers market and asked yourself how to cut persimmon? Don’t worry I’m here to help you find ways to slice this fruit without making a mess.

Persimmons are one of the best fall fruits. They’re sweet, nutritious, and versatile. You can eat them fresh, dried, or cooked in a variety of dishes. So, with these directions and a few recipe suggestions, you will be enjoying this fall fruit in a variety of ways in no time at all.

If you enjoy the fresh flavors of persimmon you will want to give this family favorite Persimmon Cookies recipe a try soon!

HOW TO CUT A PERSIMMON

STEP 1: WASH AND DRY THE FRUIT

After washing and drying the persimmon was placed on a cutting board.

Step 2: CUT THE LEAFY TOP OFF

With a paring knife cut around the leafy top and gently pull it off and discard. Note that the leaf portion of the persimmon does not sit deep into the persimmon, so you will only need to cut down about 1/4″ – 1/2″ around the core.

STEP 3: CUT THE FRUIT IN HALF

After you have removed the stem and leaves, turn the persimmon over with the cut leaf portion faced down on the cutting board. Slice the persimmon in half.

STEP 4: SLICE INTO WEDGES

Lay the persimmon with the flesh side down on the cutting board, and with a sharp knife slice it into thin wedges. Here you will mimic the way you would buy an orange or apple. Now you are ready to use these sliced persimmons in recipes or enjoy them just as it is.

HOW TO OPEN A PERSIMMON SEED POD

If you have ever wondered what is inside those pretty little seed pods, we have the answer for you. The persimmon seed pod is actually edible and it has a sweet, slightly astringent taste. Here’s how to open one.

STEP 1: WASH AND DRY THE SEED POD

Wash and dry the seed pod. And, then place it on a cutting board.

STEP 2: USE A KNIFE TO CUT THE POD OPEN

Use a sharp knife to cut the pod open. You can also use a vegetable peeler, but a knife works best. Once you have the pod open, you will see the seeds inside. I’ve found it’s best if you try to slice it in the center.

STEP 3: REMOVE THE SEEDS

Remove the seeds from the pod. The seeds are edible, but many people prefer to spit them out. You can also add them to a recipe if you want.

Step 4: OR YOU CAN SLICE THE PERSIMMON INTO ROUNDS OR DICE IT INTO CUBES

Alternatively, slice the persimmon starting from the bottom of the fruit into round circles. Finally, another option is to dice the persimmons. You will slice in thick wedges, then cut each wedge in half or thirds.

TIPS

Here are a few tips to make sure that your slices turn out well.

• There are several main types of persimmons and these directions work for all types of this fruit.
• If you have an unripe fruit you can place it in a brown bag or paper bag in a cool place on the counter to speed up the ripening process.
• According to traditional weather folklore, you can predict winter by the seeds of a persimmon. If the seeds are shaped like a fork then it’s said that you will a mild winter, and a spoon represents a shovel meaning you might have a lot of snow. The knife represents cold wind. Who knew a fruit could predict winter weather?
• The two most common persimmon varieties are the acorn-shaped hachiya persimmon, and fuyus which are firm and a light orange color.
• The hachiya variety is tomato-shaped fruits that tend to be slightly bitter. However, the firm fuyus are sweeter. I prefer sweet fruit when eating raw so I buy fuyus instead of hachiya persimmons.
• You could also use these in fruit bowls, smoothies, or fruit salad for a pop of color and a sweet taste this time of year.

FAQs

Do you have questions about this? Here are the answers to the most commonly asked question on how to cut persimmons.

DELICIOUS RECIPES

• Persimmon Salad

• Yogurt Bowls

• Persimmon Bread Recipe

• Persimmon and Brie Crostini
• Persimmon Salsa
• Honeyed Persimmon and Brie

Be sure to check out this How To Cut Pineapple post too!

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