You’ve got a special recipe that requires persimmons, but you opened up the bag to find them a little soft. What do you do? You could just go with it and see if they’re still good enough to be consumed with your recipe. But I’m going to assume you’re wondering if persimmons go bad and whether or not you should use them in the recipe.
Well, this article is here to answer all those questions!
Does Persimmon Go Bad?
Yes and no.
Persimmons, like most fruit and vegetables, are perishable. They do not have a long shelf life and will eventually go bad. The good news is that they will last much longer than many other fruits and veggies, so you can keep them in your fridge for up to two weeks before they’re likely to spoil.
The thing you need to watch out for when it comes to persimmons is the texture. When they get mushy, they just aren’t as tasty anymore. You should also keep an eye on the skin of the fruit—if it gets a lot of dark spots or starts to look dry, it’s probably time to toss it out. You may also see mold on a persimmon if you cut into it; if that happens, you should definitely throw the entire fruit away.
How Long Does Persimmon Last?
Persimmons are a unique fruit that may be unfamiliar to some. They’re similar in shape to tomatoes, and come in three varieties: American, Japanese, and Hachiya.
American persimmons are the most common variety of this fruit, and they have a hard texture when fresh. They also contain many nutrients and vitamins that are beneficial for your health!
They can be eaten raw, and they taste pretty good, but they’re super sweet. So much so that you’ll want to avoid eating them if you’re on a low-sugar diet.
But how long do they last? The answer is: it depends!
If you’ve never had one before, then we recommend trying one out as soon as possible. You’ll know right away whether you like it or not. But if you’ve got a few in the fridge, then it’s okay to wait for the perfect moment to try one out.
You can store persimmons in the fridge for up to 2 months before they start to go bad, but after that time they’ll start to lose their flavor and won’t taste nearly as good anymore.
In fact, most people don’t even bother keeping them past this point because of how much the flavor changes over time.
Here’s how long your American persimmons will last at each stage of their life cycle:
Fresh persimmons: 3-5 days at room temperature, 1-2 months in the fridge
Dried persimmons: 1 year at room temperature, 1-2 years in the fridge
How To Store Persimmon
Persimmon is a tasty fruit that can be eaten raw or in a variety of recipes.
While you can store persimmons on the countertop or in your refrigerator, the best place to store a persimmon depends on its ripeness.
Storage Method #1: Countertop
To store an unripened astringent persimmon on your countertop, place it in a paper bag and store it in a cool, dry place away from sunlight until it is ripe. This usually takes about 1 week to 10 days, depending on how soft the fruit was when you purchased it.
Some people like to speed up the ripening process by placing the persimmon in a brown paper bag with an apple, banana, or tomato for 2 to 3 days. This works because these fruits emit ethylene gas as they ripen, which helps speed up the ripening process for other fruits. Make sure not to leave your fruit in this bag for too long or it will go bad.
Storage Method #2: Refrigerator
First, select a container that is large enough to hold your persimmon without squishing it. You can use any kind of container, but we recommend using a glass container. Glass containers are eco-friendly, reusable, and easily cleaned. They also help keep your food fresh longer because they do not have an odor like plastic containers sometimes do.
Place your persimmon inside the glass container and store it in the fridge for up to 5 days. Voila! You’ve successfully stored your persimmon and can now enjoy it whenever you’d like.
How To Tell If Persimmon Is Bad?
We’ve all been there: you think you bought a good persimmon, but when you get home and slice it open, it’s rotten.
But don’t worry—you can learn to tell if your persimmon is bad before you get home! Here’s how:
1. Check the color. A good persimmon will be bright orange; rotten persimmons have a brownish tint.
2. Check the firmness. Good persimmons are soft to the touch; bad ones feel hard and dense like a rock.
3. Check for rot spots with your eyes first, then your nose, then your hands. Rot spots are soft, brown, and gooey; they usually have a strong odor and can leak fluid if you touch them too much.
4 Tips To Keep Persimmon Fresh Longer
Of all the fruits, persimmons have some of the most intense flavors. They’re also a little tricky to keep fresh and delicious since they’re a bit temperamental when things get too hot or cold.
We’ve got the best tips for keeping your persimmons in the tip-top shape below:
Tip 1: Keep them out at room temperature
The biggest mistake you can make is refrigerating your persimmons. The cold temperature can make their flavor bland, and you’ll miss out on their sweet taste!
Tip 2: Use a paper bag
If you want to buy more than one persimmon at a time, go ahead! Just be sure to store them in a loose paper sack so that there’s plenty of air circulation. This will keep them from getting bruised if they bump into each other in your fridge.
Tip 3: Store them stem-side down
Put your persimmons stem-side down in the paper bag before you put it in the fridge. This helps prevent any bruising from occurring because there’s less pressure on the part of the fruit that would get damaged if it were touching another surface.
Tip 4: Keep Them Hydrated
Like any produce, persimmons sometimes don’t last as long as we’d like. If you’ve got a persimmon that’s looking a little tired, do the following:
1. Get a bowl of water. Fill it until it’s about three-quarters full with cold water.
2. Place the persimmon in the cold water. Make sure the entire fruit is submerged under the surface of the water.
3. Let sit for 6 hours at room temperature. This will allow the persimmon to rehydrate enough to last longer once you take it out of the cold water bath and put it back in your refrigerator or on your countertop.
Related Questions
Can bad persimmons make you sick?
Persimmons contain a chemical called tannin, which causes them to be bitter and inedible until they are very ripe. When they are not yet ripe, and still hard, tannins can cause nausea and stomach upset.
Eating bad persimmons is similar to eating a raw cashew nut. The nut is hard until it is roasted or cooked, then it softens up and is delicious. The raw nut has a chemical called urushiol, which can cause an itchy rash in some people when the nut is chewed or bitten into.
The symptoms of eating bad persimmons are nausea, vomiting, and stomach pain — but it won’t cause any permanent damage or make you sick for more than a day or two since the chemicals causing these symptoms to pass out of your body fairly quickly.
Kate has been in the food business for over 20 years. Worked as a cook at several buffets which include Old Country Buffet, Five Star Buffet, and Ichiban Buffet. Now, I’m mostly at home cooking for my family, caring for chickens and ducks, and tending the garden.
