Persimmons are at their absolute best when they’re fully ripe. That’s when they develop that signature honey-sweet flavor we all love. Unfortunately, the ones we find at the grocery store are often picked way too early—they’re usually hard as rocks with greenish-yellow skin. If you’re craving one but can only find underripe fruit, don’t worry! You can easily finish the ripening process right on your kitchen counter.
Shopping for Ripe Persimmons
You’ll usually find persimmons in stock from October through April. Most stores sell them individually, which is great because it gives you a chance to give them a quick “quality check” before tossing them in your cart.
How to Spot a Good One
When you’re browsing the produce aisle, look for fruit with smooth, shiny skin that’s free of bruises or soft spots. If you give it a very gentle squeeze, the skin should have a little bit of “give” to it.
If the skin looks yellowish-green and feels rock hard, it’s definitely not ready yet. These underripe fruits are packed with tannins, which cause that weird, fuzzy “puckering” sensation in your mouth—definitely not the snack experience you’re looking for!
Whenever possible, try to buy them already ripe. They’ll be much sweeter and way easier to peel. Just keep in mind that once they reach peak ripeness, they don’t have a very long shelf life.
How to Ripen Persimmons at Home
If you ended up with a few hard fruits, here’s how to help them along:
- Place the persimmons in a fruit bowl.
- Don’t crowd them! Make sure they aren’t stacked on top of each other so they have room to breathe.
- Leave the bowl out at room temperature for about two weeks.
Just a heads-up: while they will soften up, the flavor might not be quite as intense as fruit that was allowed to ripen fully on the tree before harvest.
Storing Your Ripe Fruit
Once your persimmons are perfectly ripe, move them to the fridge. This will help them stay fresh for about another week.
Can You Freeze Persimmons?
Yes, you absolutely can! You can freeze whole fruits by simply popping them into freezer bags and tucking them away in the freezer.
Another great method is to freeze them as a puree. Just peel the fruit with a sharp knife, toss the flesh into a blender, and whiz it until smooth. Pour the puree into freezer bags, and it’ll stay delicious for about 10 months—perfect for smoothies or baking later on!
