Deeply colorful pomegranates and persimmons arrive just as we begin to feel winter’s gray weight.
Overcast skies and dripping rain are no match for these bright fruits. They decorate branches and produce stalls with their jewel-like red and orange tones, daring us to defy dreariness.
They join less hefty gem-like cranberries, which have been around a while (since mid-fall at least), in a festive campaign to infuse brilliant color and plenty of flavor into the holidays.
When autumn marches into winter, I can’t help but think of these wonderful fruits.
Some persimmons are harvested as early as September and occasionally into January, but the fruit is most widely available now, in the months of November and December.
In the northern hemisphere, pomegranates are in season from October through February, making December their zenith, and while cranberries are harvested in September and October, they’re available in their fresh form in plenitude through December.
Warm, moist persimmon bread (or cookies or pudding) is an iconic treat during the holiday season, and I look forward to imbibing in the sweet, jelly-like flesh of persimmons from our decades-old tree.
Ours bears Hachiya persimmons, one of the two varieties most commonly available in the U.S. This acorn-shaped persimmon must be eaten when soft and fully ripe; otherwise tannins present in the fruit make it sour and mouth-puckering.
I enjoy eating these persimmons whole, dipping into their soft ripeness with a spoon. The flavor might be described as an overly ripe and super sweet apricot; the texture as smooth and slippery.
Even though the tannins in the fruit are mellow in this state, they leave a slight “fuzzy” (but not unpleasant) taste in my mouth.
Squat tomato-shaped Fuyu persimmons, the other popular variety, are crisp like an apple and may be eaten while firm, as well as when softer. I love their sweet crunch and enjoy the firm texture, skin and all.
Try adding Fuyu persimmons raw to fruit or green salads, and Hachiya persimmons to smoothies or batter for pancakes or muffins.
Both varieties, as well as the hundreds of others, are native to Asia, though there is a variety indigenous to North America.
This grape-sized fruit that grew wild on trees proved to be inedible to European settlers until American Indians taught them to wait till after the first frost to consume it.
Bread (by American Indians) and distilled spirits (by the settlers in Jamestown) were among the things made with this tiny persimmon.
If the persimmons you find at the market are hard and unripe, never fear! Persimmons will ripen at room temperature at home.
Cranberries, also known as the “bounceberry” because of their tendency to do that when ripe, are another fruit native to our continent, though they also grow wild in northern Europe.
These relatives of heather grow as low, creeping evergreen shrubs or trailing vines that prefer growing in acidic bogs. The bright berries are extremely acidic, making for a tart taste.
Cranberries have gained fame as a “super fruit” in recent years because of their high nutrient and antioxidant content.
While cranberries are associated as an accompaniment to Thanksgiving turkey, I encourage you to welcome homemade cranberry sauce or chutney as a guest to your December holiday table.
Dried cranberries are delicious in baked goods, chicken or pork dishes, and tossed on green or fruit salads.
I have magical memories of pomegranates from my childhood. After school, I and a friend or two would pool our change to buy a pomegranate from our local small town market and spend the afternoon plucking out the juicy jewel-like seeds, a painstaking process.
It’s certainly true when they say that only a child has the time to eat a pomegranate, at least using this method.
Thankfully, there is another way, an underwater method of removing the seeds from the skin, causing the seeds (arils, actually) to sink and the membrane to float to the surface. Once done, a good supply is available for making juice, using in recipes, or eating out of hand.
To do this, cut the crown off the pomegranate and score the skin from top to bottom in several places so it will open up. Then plunge the entire thing underwater as you separate the seeds from the rind by hand.
Pomegranates, an ancient fruit, are native to the historical region of Persia (modern day Iran) and the Himalayan ranges of India. They’ve been cultivated in various places in Asia, the Middle East and Mediterranean Europe for several millennia.
As might be expected, pomegranates are featured in traditional Persian cuisine, as well as in the cuisine of such places as India, Pakistan, Turkey and Greece. In these cuisines, pomegranate is paired with a wide variety of savory foods. A thickened version of pomegranate juice, also known as pomegranate molasses, is often used in cooking.
Try tossing fresh pomegranate seeds into yogurt or onto fruit or green salads.
For an easy but well-presented hors d’oeuvre, drizzle honey over plain cream cheese and sprinkle it heavily with fresh pomegranate seeds. It’s very tasty spread over pita crackers.
Some stores sell tubs of fresh pomegranate seeds for those cooks who don’t wish to remove them themselves.
Like cranberries, pomegranates are known as a “super fruit” in terms of our health. They’re high in antioxidants – higher even than antioxidant power houses red wine and green tea – which bode well for cancer prevention and heart protection.
They’re also high in vitamins A, B, and C, iron, calcium, and other essential minerals.
Cranberries have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-cancer benefits. They’re extremely high in vitamin C and dietary fiber, they aid in digestion, have properties that protect our heart and liver, they support our immune systems, and are extremely effective in fighting and preventing urinary tract infections.
And persimmons are none too shabby in the nutritional arena. High in dietary fiber and low in fat and calories, they contain antioxidant compounds like Vitamin A, beta carotene, and lycopene, as well as being high in vitamin C, another antioxidant.
If seasonal storms and gray skies have caused the spring in your step to lag a bit, take heart. We know now there’s an antidote, these beautiful jewels of winter.
Here are a few ways to enjoy them.
The first recipe, a persimmon soup flavored with curry, was given to me by friend and avid persimmon picker, Lisa Cole. The beauty of this soup is that it can be made with either Hachiya or Fuyu persimmons. It’s simple, yet delicious.
Curried persimmon soup
3 - ¼ pound ripe (either firm or soft) Fuyu persimmons (about 6-8 medium fruits) or 2 - 2/3 pound soft ripened Hachiya persimmons (about 4-5 medium fruits)
½ cup minced onion
1 - ½ tablespoons minced fresh ginger
1 quart chicken or vegetable broth
1 - ½ teaspoon curry powder (more to taste)
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh cilantro and lemon wedges for garnish (optional)
Cut off and discard leaves and stems from persimmons. If using Fuyus, peel and slice fruit; if using Hachiyas, scoop out fruit from within peel.
Combine onion, ginger, and ¼ cup broth in a three or four quart pan. Boil over high heat, stirring occasionally, until liquid evaporates and vegetables brown and start to stick, usually about five minutes.
Add another ¼ cup broth and repeat process until vegetables are brown again. Repeat step a third time.
Add curry and stir for about 30 seconds.
Stir remaining broth into pan and bring to a boil over high heat.
If using Fuyus, add persimmons, cover and simmer until slices are tender when pierced, usually about five to eight minutes. Whirl smooth with an immersion blender. (Or puree in batches in a blender, holding the lid tight with a kitchen towel.)
If using Hachiyas, whirl pulp in a blender until smooth and stir into hot broth. (This will thicken soup; stir to thin.)
Add salt and pepper to taste, if desired.
Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with cilantro and a squeeze of lemon, if desired.
Recipe by Lisa Cole.
The following recipe is my mother’s orange-cranberry relish that has been served on our holiday table for as long as I can remember. She serves it in hollowed out orange-skin halves, which make for a pleasant and colorful presentation. The cooking of the oranges three times is to ensure they’re not bitter, since the skins are left on.
Danni’s Orange-Cranberry Relish
2-3 oranges, finely chopped with skins on
1 - ¼ cup sugar, divided
12 ounce package of fresh cranberries
Cover oranges with water in saucepan. Bring to a boil and allow oranges to simmer for a few minutes.
Drain oranges in colander and repeat process with fresh water.
Drain oranges again and put in saucepan with fresh water to generously cover them, along with ½ cup sugar.
Bring to a boil and simmer until liquid reduces somewhat and oranges get candied a bit in the sweet water.
Drain them, reserving cooking liquid, and set aside.
Using the cooking liquid and fresh water, measure 1 cup of liquid into a saucepan.
Add ¾ cup sugar and bring water and sugar to a boil.
Add cranberries, return to a boil, and cook until their skins pop.
Remove from heat and stir in oranges.
Allow mixture to cool and refrigerate until served.
If serving in orange skins, they may be refrigerated after filling.
Recipe by Danielle Loomis Post.
Finally, below is my take on a recipe for pomegranate molasses, wonderful for many things, such as glazing meats and fowl or drizzling over yogurt, desserts, or pancakes. It’s great as a dip when mixed with Dijon mustard.
There’s an option for less dense pomegranate syrup that can be used for mixing into drinks of both the alcoholic and non-alcoholic variety (think pomegranate martinis or sparking pomegranate water), as an addition to homemade salad dressings, tossed into fruit salads, or used anywhere you’d like pomegranate flavor.
Don’t be discouraged if your first batch of pomegranate molasses turns into overly thick “pomegranate candy” due to overcooking. Remember that the mixture will thicken as it cools.
Pomegranate molasses
4 cups pomegranate juice
½ cup sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Place ingredients in a 4-quart saucepan set over medium heat.
Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has completely dissolved.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the mixture has reduced to 1 cup, approximately 70 minutes. It should be the consistency of a thick syrup.
Remove from heat and allow to cool in the pan for 30 minutes.
Transfer to a glass jar and allow to cool completely before covering and storing in the refrigerator, where it will last for 6 months.
Note: For pomegranate syrup, cook until reduced to 1½ cups, approximately 50 minutes.
Esther Oertel, a freelance writer, cooking teacher, and speaker, is passionate about local produce and all foods in the vegetable kingdom. She welcomes your questions and comments and may be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .