Dried persimmon: useful properties, contraindications

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Persimmon is an oriental sweet fleshy fruit that we can only eat in winter. There are few people who don't like her. Someone likes to use it fresh, someone likes jam, and some people really like dried persimmon. The latter option has all the properties that are characteristic of a fresh fruit. Such a delicacy may well replace sweets, and its taste resembles figs.

A Brief History of Persimmon

Scientists have long proven that persimmon is a berry. Today it is also called oriental sweetness, heart apple and the sun in the middle of winter. From Latin, the name of the fruit is translated as "food of the gods." The first persimmon trees appeared more than two thousand years ago in China. Then from this country it began to spread to other Asian powers, in which a tropical and subtropical climate prevails.

Already in the 13th century, it was known how useful persimmon is for the body, and in all Mediterranean information sources one could read detailed information about the cultivation of the fruit and its recognition by the local population.

In Europeancountries, persimmon gained popularity only in the century before last. At the same time, it appears as an independent culture in the warm regions of Brazil and America. Today, persimmon grows in Northern India, on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus, in China, Italy, the Crimea, Japan, the Philippines and many other countries. Fresh and dried, it is popular all over the world.

Persimmon varieties

Persimmon is a member of the ebony family, and there are almost half a thousand of its varieties in the world. In our prevailing climatic conditions, it is possible to grow three of them. So, persimmon virgin, oriental and Caucasian will bring wonderful fruits.

Vostochnaya began its march around the world from China. This is one of the oldest fruit plants in the country. In the 18th century, this variety was first brought to France, and then to other Mediterranean powers. This variety appeared as a result of natural crossing of wild-growing varieties in the Middle Kingdom.

Virginskaya persimmon came to us from North America, so its other name is American. This variety has excellent medicinal qualities. So, it has bacteriological and diuretic properties, helps fight thyroid diseases, and is widely used in cosmetology.

Caucasian persimmon takes second place after citrus fruits in terms of its nutritional, dietary, taste and medicinal properties. It contains a lot of copper, cob alt and phosphorus. These substances cleanse the vessels of the brain and nourish it.

Composition of persimmons

That persimmon is an immense storehouseall kinds of vitamins and other useful substances, and it’s not worth talking about. But still, it would not hurt to find out in more detail what kind of persimmon composition it has. Such information will help to understand the benefits of the fruits of the plant and its importance in the human diet. The red sun is one of those few foods that have a high content of natural iodine. By the amount of this ingredient, persimmon (as persimmons are called in other words) is equated with seaweed and fish.

Also, the berry contains a lot of vitamin C, citric and malic acids, beta-carotene, calcium, iron, manganese, potassium and copper. Many in such fruits and sucrose, glucose. There are also antioxidants. With all this, persimmon is considered a low-calorie product. Therefore, it is recommended to use it for all people without exception, including children.

Selection of fruits for drying

Due to the fact that persimmon is not able to be stored for a long time, people come up with various ways to save a delicious treat for as long as possible. So, the berries are frozen, jam, jams, marshmallows are cooked from them. But the most effective storage method is drying. Thus, you can save all the benefits of fruit for a long time. In addition, the drying process helps rid the persimons of their inherent astringency. In Japan, dried persimmon is a classic sweet that has been prepared here for many years.

If you decide to make such a dish for yourself, you should know how to choose good fruits for drying. Give preference to a product with a rich and bright shade. Peelshould be shiny and smooth. Do not buy persimmons with stripes or spots on the surface.

You can dry both non-tart and tart varieties; slightly immature cultures and dense mature ones. Overripe and soft persimmons are not suitable for this process.

Dry at home

Fresh persimmon is available only in cold weather, but dried persimmon is at your disposal all year round. It is worth preparing it in the winter, and you can enjoy the delicacy when you want it. Drying it out is pretty easy. If only well-ripened fruits and preferably large sizes are suitable for fresh consumption, then small persimmons, which may not be too ripe, will do for drying.

Before processing the fruits, they must be washed and peeled. It is desirable that each fruit has a tail, but if it falls off, then the berry can be cut and dried in a special dryer for vegetables and fruits. Those persimons that have green tails are tied together and hung somewhere in a dry, well-ventilated place. To prevent insects from disturbing the future delicacy, it is recommended to cover the bundle with gauze.

If a few days after the start of drying you notice that a white coating has formed on the persimmon, do not be alarmed. This is ordinary glucose that appears on fruits in the process of evaporation of moisture from them. For two weeks, the fruits should dry, after which it is better to move them to the refrigerator for further storage.

Benefits of dried persimmon

Dried persimmon is considered an invaluable medicine. Its benefits are invaluable. Due to the high fiber content, dried fruit improves the functioning of the intestines and stomach, helps get rid of constipation, saturates a person and prevents overeating.

Dried persimmon will protect against infectious and inflammatory diseases, as it contains a lot of polyphenols and catechins, which are the strongest antioxidants.

Eating dried persimmons in small portions can stabilize the amount of sugar in the blood. That is why such dried fruits are recommended to be eaten by people suffering from diabetes. Lowers persimmon and cholesterol, thus preventing clogging of blood vessels.

Even when dried, persimmon helps cleanse blood vessels and strengthen the heart, boosts immunity and improves eyesight. Due to the fact that fruits contain a lot of iron, they raise hemoglobin in the blood.

Harm dried persimmon

Despite all the above advantages, dried persimmon can be harmful to the body if the following recommendations are not followed:

• if a person has anemia, then he should not eat sweets, as it makes it difficult for the body to absorb iron.
• Due to the poor combination of persimmon with milk, you must wait at least one hour between these dishes.
• Dried fruit can irritate the walls of the stomach, and therefore it is better to eat it after the main meal.
• People with diabetes must eat dried orangesunshine in limited quantities.

Persimmon for weight loss

Dried fruit is an excellent tool for weight loss. Although dried persimmon contains enough calories (one hundred grams of the product has 260-270 kcal), you can still use it while dieting. It is only necessary to eat no more than 50 grams of dried fruits throughout the day and do this, if possible, in the morning.

You can also use dried fruits if you want to lose weight and for this limit the amount of sweets eaten. In this case, it is allowed to replace sweets, cookies and cakes with dried persimmon fruits.

How to choose dried persimmon when buying

Incredibly rich in minerals and vitamins, dried persimmon is much more interesting than its fresh counterpart, as it is devoid of astringent taste, keeps longer and does not deteriorate. When buying a bunch of dried persimons in the market or in a supermarket, you need to pay attention to the only, but incredibly important point: each fruit must be covered with an even, thin coating of white. If you find a product with this quality, now you should swipe your finger over its surface. Refuse to buy if the plaque is erased. This indicates that the fruits are sprinkled with starch or flour to deceive a potential buyer.

The correct plaque is the sugar that came out during the drying of the berries, and he certainly muststay on the skin. If this sugar is present on the fruit, and the persimmon itself is soft, like rubber, then you can safely buy such a delicacy.

Use of dried persimmon in cooking

Dried persimmon may well be a useful substitute for sweets (contraindications and benefits are described in the article). Also, such a product can be cut into small pieces and added to ice cream, mixed with cottage cheese or cream. Thus, you can get a delicious dessert. Experienced chefs recommend baking incredibly appetizing cottage cheese pancakes with dried persimmon slices. The taste of the dish will be unusual.

You can also make a snack of chicken and dried persimmon. To do this, beat off the chicken fillet, and then cut into strips. Bake or fry such blanks until they are completely cooked. While the dish is cooking, cut the dried persimon into small pieces. When everything is ready, it is necessary to wrap each piece of berry in a fillet and put half an olive on both sides, pinning it with a skewer. As a result, delicious canapes will come out.

Glory to dried persimmon

In some states, dried persimon is such a popular delicacy that various festivals are held in its honor. So, in South Korea, in the county of Yongdong, a dried persimmon festival is held every year. This region was not chosen by chance, because it is in it that most of all various fruits are grown in Korea. Yongdong persimmons are known for their superior quality and sweetness.

During the festival, guests will be invited to become participants in the process of peeling fruits,hanging berries. Also, everyone will have the opportunity to take a foot bath based on persimon leaves and peel, participate in a song contest and enjoy many other entertainments. During the festival, participants can buy different types of persimmons.