table of contents
- Furry feeling: unhealthy?
- Let the persimmons ripen
- frequently asked Questions
an unripe persimmon makes the tongue feel uncomfortably furry. You can find out in this guide whether the fruits are harmful to health.
In a nutshell
- the furry coating is created by tannins
- the tannins indicate unripe fruit
- Subsequent ripening is necessary before consumption
- The bitter substances are not harmful to health
- Persimmons without bitter substances also exist
Furry feeling: unhealthy?
If you feel a furry feeling in your mouth after eating a persimmon (Diospyros kaki), it is due to the tannins in the peel. These are tannins that have an astringent effect on the taste buds of the tongue. This means that in addition to the furry feeling, you will also notice a bitter taste that literally contracts the mouth. What does that mean? The fruits are unripe. You don't have to worry though. The tannins are not harmful to health, but protect the plant from predators until the seeds develop.
Other signs of unripe persimmons like this (so you don't have to bite into it):
- hard pulp
- solid shell
- mostly lighter color
Tip: If you grow persimmons yourself, harvest them as late as possible. This means that you do not run the risk of eating bitter fruits that quickly.
Let the persimmons ripen
So that you can still enjoy the delicious fruits, you should let them ripen well beforehand. The specimens available in the trade are offered unripe so that they can be kept and can therefore be sold over a longer period of time. This is why the subsequent ripening of the fruit of the gods is so important.
What you have to consider:
- store at cool room temperature
- alternatively in the refrigerator
- it shouldn't be too dry
- check regularly for hardness
- ripe fruits are very soft
Tip: You can speed up the post-ripening process by adding an apple or two in close proximity to the persimmons. Since they release the ripening gas ethylene, the fruit of the gods ripens faster.
frequently asked Questions
Yes, there are variants the fruit, which hardly contain any bitter substances in their skin. Because of this, you can consume them straight away without any problems, without creating a furry feeling in the mouth. The direct edible variants include the sharon fruit, persimmon and fuyu, which is particularly popular in Japan. They can all be eaten straight out like an apple, as long as you remove the leaves beforehand.
If you don't consume ripe persimmons within two to three days, they will become extremely soft. Even refrigerated, they should not be stored for too long, as the otherwise pleasant structure quickly becomes mushy, making them much more difficult to eat. If you have bought large quantities of the fruit or picked it yourself, it is best to process it into jam, chutney or sweet pastries.
No, these are exclusively places with a higher proportion of sugar. These are not harmful to health and can be consumed without any problems. They often arise during storage or when the affected areas are exposed to greater pressure.