MANDARINS
No more waiting. Mandarin season is here! Juicy, sweet, seedless, easy to peel, and good for you, what’s not to like about a mandarin?
Shipping has begun, in time for your Thanksgiving and holiday gift giving. Order online or pick up an order form at the store.
PERSIMMONS
When my children were little they had a story book called The Doll Doctor. In the story, the rag doll couldn’t whistle. “You’ve been eating green persimmons,” the Doll Doctor said. “Next time wait until they are ripe!”
If you’ve ever tasted a green persimmon, you know what the rag doll felt. Tannins in the persimmon combine with
proteins on the surface of your tongue to produce a dry, puckery feeling. Not pleasant, although in Japan green persimmons are harvested and the tannin juice is used for medicinal and other purposes.
The hachiya persimmon is one of these astringent types. Look for deep orange fruit with an acorn-like shape. In time, astringent persimmons will mellow to a gooey, gel-like texture that is tasty, sweet, and no longer astringent. Freezing them for 24 hours makes the astringency go away, too.
Hachiya persimmons are good for you with 3 times more antioxidants than an equal weight of raspberries. Eat them with a spoon, or bake into wonderful cookies, breads, or steamed pudding.
Hachiyas are also made into hoshigaki, artisan Japanese dried persimmons—a special treat coming soon.
A second type of persimmon is the non-astringent type. The most common here is the fuyu. Look for an even orange colored persimmon with a pumpkin-like shape. Fuyus can be enjoyed when firm and crispy like an apple, or when they soften like a peach. Use them in salads, chutney and desserts.
18 YEARS!
Yes, time has flown and here we are, 18 years since we first opened, with our remodeling project behind us and jumping right into mandarin season and the holidays. Come celebrate with us on Small Business Saturday, November 25.