‘Under-rated’ is the only way to describe the extremely versatile persimmon: a fruit many people have not even bothered to try!

This highly nutritious, vitamin, calcium and essential mineral packed fruit, is in season from late summer through to the end of winter as a general rule and, to let you in on a persimmon connoisseurs secret, they should not be eaten until they are softly squidgy. Biting into a firm one will definitely set your teeth on edge, perhaps even putting you off them for life as, even though they appear ripe at this stage, they are not fully ripe and bursting with sweetness until they actually look and feel half-rotten.

Unripe persimmons are overloaded with tannin and the astringent effect numbs your mouth and tongue; this tannin disappears as the fruit finishes ripening and is totally gone by the time they reach the mouth watering squidgy stage when, to bite into one is akin to eating juicy sunshine.

Persimmons, botanically called ‘Diospyros kaki’, originated in China and were later introduced in Japan where it is considered to be the national fruit; and even here in Pakistan, where we happen to have five indigenous varieties of our own, we fall into the trap of referring to persimmons as ‘Japani phal’.

There are somewhere in the region of 200 recognised persimmon varieties scattered throughout the northern regions of Asia and North America but not all produce edible fruit and, of the latter, it is D. kaki a large, orangish-red or sometimes yellowish fruit which is prized by connoisseurs. The most widely known indigenous variety, ‘D. lotus’, more commonly known as ‘Amlok’ and sold as a seasonal dried fruit, grows wild throughout the northern part of the country, Balochistan and Azad Kashmir.

Yet, as with countless other wild fruits, is not fully utilised, if at all, in its fresh state which is a dreadful shame as these purple-black ‘Date plums’ as they are called in English, make fantastic jam, a tasty relish and are perfect when baked alongside a roast of beef or used in stuffing for chicken and fish.

The big, juicy persimmons of the orange variety are extremely versatile indeed: they can be eaten raw like any other fruit, juiced (don’t drink pure persimmon juice unless you have a severe constipation problem) along with other seasonal fruit for a delicious fruit cocktail, pureed and served as an ice cream topping, added to fruit salads, used in trifles, tarts and pies, added to qorma for a dash of difference or whizzed into milk for a refreshing smoothie.

My favourite recipes, both personal inventions, are as follow:

Persimmon salad dressing

Ingredients 2 large, fully ripe, very squishy persimmons 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon white or herb vinegar 12 cloves of garlic Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste A dash of pepper sauce for heat

Method

Peel the persimmons and whiz through a blender for a couple of minutes, add the olive oil and vinegar and whiz some more. Crush the garlic and add to the mixture along with salt and pepper to taste and pepper sauce if desired. Pour into an airtight glass jar or bottle and refrigerate for a couple of hours before using. This delicious, fruity dressing with a touch of heat will liven up the most mundane of salads and also makes a great marinade for fish, chicken and lamb.

Persimmon jam

Ingredients 1kg persimmon pulp 1kg sugar

Method

Put the persimmon pulp into a heavy bottomed pan and heat, stirring frequently, on a low flame, until it just begins to bubble. Add the sugar and slowly bring to a boil, stirring regularly to prevent sticking, then reduce the heat, keep stirring until the jam is thick. Carefully putting a teaspoon of the jam onto a saucer to check if it has reached setting point, if it has it will quickly form a surface skin, is the best way of checking if the jam is ready to bottle. When it is ready, carefully ladle into sterilised jars, immediately covering the jam surface with waxed paper to exclude air, leave to cool and when cold, screw on the lids and store in a cool, dark place. Made properly, persimmon jam will keep, unopened, for up to an astonishing five years.

* You can substitute half of the persimmons with other fruits you like — apples, grapes (green or black), apricots, cherries, blackberries, peaches all being ideal — or, alternatively, turn your persimmon jam into persimmon marmalade by substituting half of the persimmon pulp for thinly sliced oranges along with their peel (remember to remove the white pith from inside the peel first or else the marmalade may be too bitter for your taste).