The persimmon is one of the exotic fruits that are in season here, especially in the winter months. It is characterized by a round, tomato-like shape, which also has a color similar to that of the fruit vegetable. It can be confusing to find seemingly the same fruits in the trade under the names kaki, persimmon and sharon fruit. In fact, they are different breeds that, with a little practice, are easy to tell apart.
Persimmon, Persimmon or Sharon?
The orange-colored, tomato-like fruit can be found on supermarket shelves, especially in autumn and winter. But are the different names really the same fruit? Here you can find out all the differences to kaki, persimmon and sharon fruit.
persimmon
This berry originally comes from central China. It grows on trees up to 10 m high and belongs to the ebony family. Today it is mainly grown in Japan, Korea and China. Depending on the cultivated form, the fruits are colored orange-yellow to red. There are also differences in the content of tannins. These tannins give unripe fruit a furry mouthfeel and bitter taste. The riper the fruit becomes, the more the tannin content decreases. The persimmon is the original wild form all similar varieties. When the persimmons are ripe, they are so soft that they cannot survive long journeys, which is why they are often sold unripe. Other characteristics of persimmons:
- reddish-orange in colour, similar to a tomato
- only edible when fully ripe
- Flesh becomes jelly-like
- solid peel is edible, but is not usually eaten
- Fruit is suitable for spooning
- has cores
- mostly cultivar Tipo
tip: Real persimmons can be grown from seed, but depending on the cultivar they are not frost-resistant.
persimmon
It is not a separate species, but one Cultivated variety of persimmons. It is mainly grown in Spain. The persimmon naturally has fewer tannins and is therefore edible even if it is not yet fully ripe. The pulp does not taste as bitter and is sweeter than that of the persimmons. Since the shell is not so firm, it cannot be spooned. Instead, it is simply eaten out of the hand like an apple; the skin is edible. It can be recognized by its elongated, oval shape which is light red in colour. Persimmons are also often harvested unripe. In order to reduce the tannin content, they are artificially ripened by treating them with the ripening gas ethylene.
notice: The firm flesh can easily be cut into pieces. Only the flower base has to be removed before consumption.
Sharon
This cultivar comes from Israel and is named after the Sharon Plains, where it is still grown today. It is also cultivated in Spain, Italy and South America. It has no seeds and, like the persimmon, is also edible when it is not yet ripe. Their flesh is very sweet and has little tannin. The taste is reminiscent of sugar melons. It is also firmer than persimmons and therefore lasts longer. The shape of the fruit is flatter and smaller compared to persimmons. The coloring is more yellowish than reddish. The Sharon can be eaten with the skin or, if you don't like the taste, you can peel it like an apple.
tip: Unripe Sharon fruits can be stored for up to 5 months, they are often brought to full maturity artificially.
fruit ripening and shelf life
All varieties of persimmons can be ripened at home. However, they shouldn't be put in the fridge. In a room-warm place, they develop into fully ripe fruits within one to two weeks. Once fully ripe, however, they do not keep for long and should be stored in the refrigerator. On average, they last another two days, in exceptional cases up to four days. Persimmons are easy to freeze or dry. There are no differences between the individual varieties in terms of possible processing and use.
ingredients
The persimmon, sharon fruit and persimmon hardly differ in their ingredients. All three varieties are very healthy and contain a lot of beta-carotene and vitamin C, among other things. This is especially true for fully ripe fruits.