Fresh Pick of the Week: Persimmons

Persimmons are a seasonally fall and winter fruit, in-season October through February, but they have the delightfully sweet taste of many tropical and summer produce. The fuyu variety that I found at the Melrose Place Farmer's Market are great sliced up and eaten as is (they're so sweet, they taste like dessert!). They'd also make great additions to a seasonal fall smoothie or fresh salsa. They are rich in vitamin A like so many seasonal fall produce, and they get their sweetness from their high sugar content (those I grabbed are a perfect single fruit serving portion). When picking persimmons up in weeks to come, select based on the same characteristics you'd look for in a tomato (like a little give when squeezed).