Delicious, healthy Sharon fruit
Winter is Sharon fruit season, and there are plenty to be found in the shops. But what to do with these curious fruit?
The seedless Sharon fruit, a variety of persimmon, was originally cultivated in the Sharon valley in Israel, hence its name. The original fruit is native to China and it was introduced to Japan 1300 years ago, to Europe in 1600, to the USA in 1800 and cultivation in South Africa started in the 1990's.
The entire fruit is edible – soft or firm, it is always ready to be eaten. The Sharon fruit has no seeds or pips, doesn’t have the astringent taste that most persimmons have and can be eaten firm like an apple or soft as a peach. With or without the skin.
Sharon fruit (and persimmons) can be refrigerated for 12 days or will soften at room temperature within 6 days. It can be enjoyed as it is or peeled, and if you cut it in half you will see the beautiful star outline of the fruit’s core.
Try it as an accompaniment to cold poultry or smoked meats (in place of melon), or use it instead of apple in your salad. Sharon fruit is also great for stir-fries, desserts, jams, atjar, chutney and dried fruit.
The deep-orange colour and sweet, firm flesh of our Sharon fruits are all the guarantee you need that they are perfectly ripe and ready to be savoured.
In 2002 it was published in USA that the Sharon fruit is the most effective fruit in preventing heart attacks and reducing the risk of heart diseases. It contains twice as much fibre as that in apples. It is also rich in other elements such as calcium, iron and magnesium. Food and herb specialists believe it can clear the heart, lubricate lungs, relieve diarrhoea, treat hypertension, senile asthma and cough with mucus. It is high in tannins, and when tannin is absorbed into tissues, it protects cells, it astringes tissues, and it suppresses the propagation of bacteria. They are known to protect the body from influenza by developing resistance against virus infection.
As an herbal medicine, Sharon fruit is effective for recovery from intoxication. Persimmon juice lowers the density of alcohol in the blood stream and therefore alleviates hangovers.
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