Persimmons are a tad unusual, aren't they? Perhaps they're simply uncommon. After all, few major grocers carry them regularly (at least, not in our area). But, occasionally, they crop up as a specialty, limited-quantity offering. That's more or less how we obtained some recently. Wendi *loves* them, so we quickly snatched up a few at our local co-op last week. Here's the vid (below).
Thanks again to BH and Janet McKee for being our special guests for this episode.
The Internet has many interesting things to teach us about these delightful little bundles of joy (the persimmons - not BH and Janet, though they're certainly bundles of joy as well). For example, persimmons are great sources of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and dietary fiber. They also contain decent amounts of Vitamin B6, Vitamin E, and Vitamin K. On the mineral side, they're decent sources of potassium, and outstanding sources (30% of your RDA in just one!) of manganese, a mineral whose name is said to derive from the Greek word for magic. Indeed, manganese is clearly linked to heart health, bone health, and anti-oxidant production. It's also suspected to aid in numerous other vital bodily processes.
Today's feature recipe is Coconut Persimmon Flan by Vanessa Sherwood. There are a few other persimmon recipes available among the 650+ listed on the All Raw Directory, too!
Original Comments
Below, we have included the original comments from this blog post. Additional comments may be made via Facebook, below.
On November 6, 2008, wrote:
Conrgratulations, Bethany! Wow........what a fabulous story! I am so very happy for you! Amazing what a living food diet can do to heal the body! Namaste, E.L.
On November 6, 2008, wrote:
This is so fabulous!! I love Bethany's story already. Wendi....you have become much more comfortable in front of the camera....glowing and radiating your beautiful energy!!
Going to BethanysStory.com now.
On November 6, 2008, wrote:
Living in Northern California, this time of year we are given persimmons by the bag fulls. It is good to keep in mind, there are two kinds. One is good for eating raw, the other for cooking. I know some who try them and say they don't like them, and they had actually tried a cooking type. Be sure you are getting the right kind for whatever it is you are wanting.
On November 6, 2008, wrote:
Hi Cindy-
Hmmmm, now I have to look into it again. I'd read that there are astringent and nonastringent varieties. According to the Wonder Wiki (at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persimmon#Fruit), the astringent variety can be eaten raw. The trick is in letting them ripen (soften) by setting them in the light for several days, which takes the tang out of the tannins inside. So, are you saying you've had some that do not ripen to a palatable state when raw
On a related note, I've definitely noticed how one needs to have patience with a lot of fruits, as they often do need to ripen once you get them home. Bananas are a major example of this (as you'll see in the next fact-filled episode!). But, quite a number of things get much tastier when you're patient (not always possible, though).
-Jim