Persimmons are FINALLY back in season!!

Yesterday I went for my weekly (when I am free on a Tuesday, which lately has not been often!) walk over to the Culver City Farmers Market. I am not an avid farmers market shopper. I enjoy some of the more random findings that a farmer’s market can offer from time to time, like cotton candy pluots and cactus based tortillas, but more often than not I just go to Trader Joe’s or Sprouts, because the quality is usually fine there and a lot cheaper. However this time of the year I am on a mission, and lucky for me the season started the week I decided to show up. 

PERSIMMONS! Ok, you are probably thinking, what is the big deal. I just love them. They are my favorite fall fruit and their season is pretty short, from about October until February. The fuyu and the hachiya are the most common varieties found in the United States.Fuyus represent almost 80 percent of the persimmon market in the United States and are most commonly eaten raw. They are characterized by flat bottoms, a squatty shape and a slightly crisp texture. Fuyus should be yellow-orange in color and are at their best when they are slightly soft. This is the variety I prefer. Hachiya persimmons are very astringent unless they are perfectly ripe, in which case, they have a unique velvety flesh. Differing from the fuyu variety, they have an elongated, acorn shape and are slightly larger than the fuyu.

Persimmons are high in vitamin A and zea-xanthin, good for skin and eye-sight respectively. They are also high in beta-carotene and lutein, good for fighting cancers and oxygen-derived free radicals. Persimmons are also great source of vitamin C, folic acid, B-6 and thiamin, which helps with circulation and carbohydrate metabolism.

Ok, so enough on the background. I bought myself a bag an brought them home. I washed one off and ate it, and then I decided I wanted to try to make something with persimmon. Instead of looking up recipes, I made up my mind pretty quickly. After eying the popsicle molds in my cupboard (as it has been unseasonably hot for October!) I decided I wanted to try to make a popsicle with persimmon in it, so this is what happened. This came out pretty good, except I would probably skip using the greek yogurt and just use coconut milk because the yogurt made the popsicles taste a little sour. Otherwise, a healthy treat and very easy to make.

PERSIMMON COCONUT POPSICLES

1 persimmon, chopped

1 single serving of Greek 0% yogurt (optional)

2 tbsp shredded coconut

1 cup almond or coconut milk

2 tbsp. honey

Blend in high powered blender until desired texture is reached.

Pour into popsicle molds and freeze over night.

Enjoy!