When Do Non-Astringent Persimmons Ripen and Hit the Market? A Full Guide to Their Benefits, Ways to Eat Them, and Who Should Avoid Them

Non-astringent persimmon, also known as crisp persimmon, is a fruit with extremely high nutritional value. Regular consumption can cleanse the intestines, moisten the lungs, and lower blood pressure, so many people enjoy eating it. So when do non-astringent persimmons ripen and hit the market? What benefits come from eating them? What are the ways to eat them and the contraindications? These groups of people should not eat them!

I. When do non-astringent persimmons ripen?

The shape of the persimmon fruit varies by variety; it is orange-yellow or red, with large persistent calyx lobes and a bluntly rounded tip. The flowering period is from May to June, and the fruit ripening period is from September to October. Non-astringent persimmons are made by taking green, not fully ripe persimmons and removing the astringency to turn them into sweet, delicious non-astringent persimmons.

Generally, small round persimmons are about ready around the Frost's Descent solar term. Large flat persimmons are a bit later. Do not wait until they are ripe and soft; pick them when they have turned yellow all over. After sitting for a week, they will all soften. Then they can be eaten, but be careful not to eat too many. Do not drink alcohol, as it easily leads to persimmon stones or constipation.

II. What are the benefits of eating non-astringent persimmons?

1. Rich nutritional value: Persimmons are rich in sucrose, glucose, fructose, protein, carotene, vitamin C, citrulline, iodine, calcium, phosphorus, and iron. Their vitamin and sugar content is about 1 to 2 times higher than that of ordinary fruits. If a person eats one persimmon a day, the vitamin C intake can basically meet half of the daily requirement.

2. Stop bleeding and cool the blood: Fresh persimmons have the effect of cooling the blood and stopping bleeding. Persimmon frost moistens the lungs and can be used for dry throat, mouth and tongue sores, and other conditions. The persimmon calyx has the effect of descending rebellious qi and stopping it. Dried persimmon harmonizes the stomach and stops bleeding. Persimmon leaves have a hemostatic effect and are used to treat coughing blood, blood in the stool, bleeding, and vomiting blood. Recent research has found that persimmons and persimmon leaves have blood pressure-lowering, diuretic, anti-inflammatory, and hemostatic effects.

3. Moistens the lungs and quenches thirst: Persimmons have the functions of clearing heat and removing dryness, moistening the lungs and resolving phlegm, softening hardness, quenching thirst and promoting fluid production, strengthening the spleen, treating dysentery, and stopping bleeding. They can relieve dry stool, hemorrhoid pain or bleeding, dry cough, sore throat, high blood pressure, and other conditions.

4. Promotes blood circulation and lowers blood pressure: Persimmons help lower blood pressure, soften blood vessels, increase coronary artery flow, and can promote blood circulation and reduce inflammation, improving cardiovascular function.

5. Sobering effect: Persimmons can promote the oxidation of ethanol in the blood, help the body excrete alcohol, and reduce the harm alcohol does to the body.

III. How do you prepare non-astringent persimmons so they taste good?

1. Non-astringent persimmons made with baijiu

(1) Wash the persimmons and let them dry, and prepare a bowl of baijiu.

(2) Put the persimmons into the baijiu and turn them around once; the persimmon calyx should also be coated with baijiu.

(3) After all the persimmons are coated with baijiu, put them in a plastic bag, tie the plastic bag tightly and seal it, and leave it for about a week before eating. When eating, taste one first; if it is astringent, tie the bag tightly again and leave it for two more days.

2. How to make non-astringent persimmons

(1) Select firm persimmons, wash them clean, and put them into a thermos bucket; do not fill it too full.

(2) Add warm water at about 50 degrees, and put on the insulated lid.

(3) Put it in a warm place and let it sit for 2 to 3 days. During this time, change the water 3 to 4 times according to the insulation effect, just keeping the water at a certain temperature.

3. Warm water soaking method

Put fresh persimmon fruits into an aluminum pot or a clean vat, pour in warm water at about 40°C, submerge the persimmon fruits, seal the mouth of the vat, and isolate it from air circulation. In the warm water de-astringency method, the key is to control the water temperature; too high or too low is unsuitable. If the water temperature is too low, de-astringency is very slow. For example, in the south, soaking in cold water takes 4 to 7 days to remove astringency. If the water temperature is too high, the fruit skin is easily scalded and split, the flesh becomes water-soaked, and the fruit color turns brown. Moreover, enzyme activity is inhibited or destroyed, and even after a very long time, the astringent taste remains very strong.

IV. Dietary contraindications

1. Persimmons are cold in nature, so people with a cold stomach should not eat them. People with chronic gastritis, delayed gastric emptying, indigestion, and other conditions of low gastric motility function should not eat persimmons.

2. Persimmons are rich in carbohydrates, mostly sucrose, glucose, and fructose. They are easily digested after eating and easily raise blood sugar, so people with diabetes cannot eat them.

3. Persimmons contain a large amount of carbohydrates and pectin. Eating a lot of persimmons can easily erode the teeth and form cavities. In addition, a large amount of tannic acid affects the body's absorption of trace elements such as calcium and magnesium, easily leading to malnutrition.

4. Persimmons and crabs are both cold-natured foods. After eating them, the effect on gastrointestinal diseases is increased and worsened, and high-protein foods such as crabs and shrimp are more likely to coagulate into masses under the action of tannic acid, namely gastric persimmon stones.

V. Who should not eat non-astringent persimmons?

1. People with diabetes

Persimmons have a high sugar content, mainly sucrose, glucose, and fructose, which are easily absorbed after eating and raise blood sugar. They are harmful to people with diabetes, especially those with poorly controlled blood sugar.

2. People with anemia

The tannic acid in persimmons can combine with iron in food and hinder the body's absorption of iron from food. Therefore, people with anemia should eat less of them.

3. People with poor spleen and stomach function

Persimmons are suitable for people with normal spleen and stomach digestive function. In addition, the formation of gastric persimmon stones may be related to disordered stomach function. Therefore, people with poor spleen and stomach function, such as those with spleen-stomach diarrhea, loose stools, weak constitution and frequent illness, postpartum women, and those suffering from exogenous wind-cold, as well as people with chronic gastritis, delayed gastric emptying, indigestion, and other conditions of low gastric motility function, and those after subtotal gastrectomy, should not eat persimmons.