My guide to picking persimmons, including answers to common questions and how to pick and eat the perfect one for you!

Persimmons are possibly my favorite fruit – and that’s saying a lot! When they’re in season, there’s really nothing better than enjoying one in my morning bowl of fruit, or as a snack. Persimmons are in season from September to December⁣/January. Keep reading for more information about these fabulous fruits and my top tips for picking persimmons while they’re in season!

How Many Different Kinds of Persimmons Are There?

Did you know there are possibly over 1,000 different varieties of persimmons?! BUT, there are two main types that you’ll find commonly in US stores: Fuyu and Hachiya Persimmons. (When I lived in the UK I also came across the Sharon Fruit variety in shops, which is very similar to Fuyu).

There are also Dried Persimmons, which are usually Fuyu or Hachiyas in dried form. They’re also addicting! If you haven’t tried these yet, please do yourself a favour and track some down – we find them in our local asian markets/stores. You can thank me later.

How Do I Know when the Persimmon is Ripe?

Fuyu persimmons are best enjoyed when they’re firm and have ripened to a deep orange color. They get softer the longer you wait, so if you prefer a mushier texture, that’s fine! Don’t wait too long because they will get dark spots and start to mold. Also, don’t be afraid to have one while it’s very firm, they can still be perfectly ripe and sweet. I just look for a little bit of give when you press into the side.

Hachiya persimmons are a completely different story. You want to wait for these babies to soften until they’re basically about to burst. The bottoms will soften first, so you want to wait until the whole persimmon is soft all the way to the top where you see the calyx – the green leaves where the stem is located.

Dried Persimmons are best when they’re soft and lighter in color. They’ll have a gummy like texture, and are as sweet as candy! As they get older, they darken and get harder and less pleasant to eat. White powder on the top is not something to be alarmed about either. The white powder is actually crystalized sugar that has come up from the persimmon. Yum!

Why Does My Persimmon Taste Chalky?

If you try to eat a Hachiya Persimmon before it’s ripe, you’ll likely get a chalky aftertaste in your mouth. It’s not dangerous, but leaves your mouth feeling a bit fuzzy and with a bitter aftertaste. My ma always says Hachiya Persimmons are an exercise in patience. Sometimes you have to wait awhile to see them properly – we’ve waited months for some of ours. But if you do, the payoff is more than worth it!

Can You Eat Persimmon Skin?

The short answer is yes, but the best answer is that you probably don’t want to. The skin of a fuyu is somewhat thicker than an apple’s skin. But while I happily eat apple skin, I always peel my persimmons. The skin of a hachiya persimmon is softer, but again, I always scoop out the insides to eat and leave the skin.

Tips for Persimmon Picking

All persimmons are delicious in their own way. So picking the perfect persimmon really depends on your preferences and the occasion.

Fuyu: If you’re looking for a sweet snack to bite into, and you have a minute to peel the skin (if you want to), then go for a fuyu. This variety tends to be the most popular and easily accessible, plus doesn’t require lots of waiting time to ripen. They’re pretty much ready to eat once you buy them.

Hachiya: If you want a soft and gooey treat, and have a lot of patience, go for hachiya! Keep in mind you might have to wait weeks or months before the one you pick up at the store is ready to dig into, but the reward is more than worth it. Once one is perfectly ripe and about to burst, I wash it (gently!), remove the top, and then slice the persimmon in half. Open up the persimmon on a plate, and use a spoon to scoop out the insides. It may sound a bit messy, but trust me – it’s oh so good.

Dried: If you’re looking for a portable snack to give you a quick sugar boost, dried persimmons are the way to go. They’re great for packing as a snack in your bag, or to have a an afternoon pick-me-up. Look for boxes on sale and if you find a good deal, get a couple! They can last for some time (they are dried after all). When the dried persimmons start to harden, I like to tear them up into pieces and throw on top of my porridge. The hot oatmeal will help soften up the persimmon.

A Final Tips for Persimmon Shopping

We have a few different asian markets that we frequent. Every week during persimmon season, I’ll check the weekly ads and see which variety of persimmons are on sale. Sometimes it’s cheaper to buy persimmons in a box, but other times it can be cheaper to pick them and pay be weight, which can be nice to ensure all the persimmons you’re picking are of good quality. Just compare which is the better deal at the time and then go for it!

I hope these tips give you good fortune in picking persimmons. Let me know if you have any other questions, and happy eating!

If you want some more persimmon picking fun, check out these posts on my Instagram: Fun Facts + Hachiya Persimmons

How I make healthy homemade popcorn – including my top tips and how to avoid burnt popcorn. It’s really not as hard as you might think!

It’s Friday night, and you’re sitting down after a long busy week to relax with a movie and…what? What would complete this picture for you? Cause for me, it’d definitely be a bowl of healthy homemade popcorn.

Making Healthier Homemade Popcorn

Once you start making your own popcorn, you won’t go back. At least, I haven’t yet! It really is a game changer. There’s a number of reasons why it’s worth it to make your own popcorn at home – here are 3:

1. It’s Healthier

Making your own popcorn allows you so much more control over what you put on it. You can limit the amount of oil and salt, and even switch up the flavors with other toppings (like nutritional yeast or something sweet if that’s what you fancy). You also avoid any chemicals (like PFAS!) that can line the bags of microwavable popcorn. Double win!

2. It’s Cheaper

Popcorn kernels are super affordable, and last for ages in the pantry. Buy in bulk for even more of a bargain.

3. It’s More Fun!

I suppose this one’s a matter of opinion, but I really think it is!

Making Homemade Popcorn

So now that I’ve convinced you to try making your own batch of healthy homemade popcorn, what’s next? Here’s all you need to get going:

• Popcorn kernals (I like Orville’s)
• Oil (I use Olive Oil)
• Salt
• A pot and lid
• 10mins or so

How far in advance can you make popcorn?

I think homemade popcorn is best fresh. But, you can still enjoy it even a day later (our batches have never lasted any longer than that). Just store the leftover popcorn in an airtight container or a ziplock bag.

Three Top Tips for the Perfect Batch of Popcorn

1. Test the heat of the oil and pot by adding just two kernels first. Once those pop you’ll know the pot is ready and you can add the rest of the kernels.
2. Once you’ve added those kernels, immediately pick up the pot (use oven mitts!) and hold it over the heat for 20-30 seconds. I like to swish the pot back and forth andimagine the kernels all getting coated with the oil. This
3. Once the kernals are popping and the pot is about 1/3-1/2 way full, tip the lid so that there’s a bit of an opening for steam to escape. This helps your popcorn dry out and not get soggy

How do I avoid burning my popcorn?

This is the question I get asked the most whenever I post an Instagram story about making homemade popcorn. I have definitely burnt my share of batches. However, if you burn one or five, don’t give up! It takes some time to get into the popcorn making rhythm, and even when you think you’ve cracked the code, burnt popcorn can still happen.

The more you practice, the better you’ll get a feel for it and be able to troubleshoot given you own particular circumstances and equipment (temp of the flames/burner, size of pot, etc). Here are some tips I’ve picked up along the way. I hope they can help you avoid burning your popcorn too!

1. Use a large and tall pot. I find a taller pot, as opposed to a wide one, helps the popcorn rise with less time on the bottom of the pot.
2. Don’t skimp on the oil.
3. Wash the pot thoroughly before making another batch. If there’s anything left, kernels on the bottom can more easily burn.
4. Try to find a happy heat temperature. Our stove burners go up to 6, so I usually start out 6 to heat up the pot, and then turn it down to 5 right after adding the oil. Popcorn seems to pop best for me around the 5 mark, but occasionally I’ll move it to 4.5.

That’s it! It may seem like a lot of effort, when you could just throw a packed into the microwave and be done with it. But honestly, give it a go and I bet you’ll find it’s not as bad as you thought. Plus, practice makes perfect, which sounds like a pretty good excuse to indulge in lots of popcorn batches as you’re ‘practicing’ to me.

If you want to see the popcorn popping in action, check out this short recipe reel on Instagram!