Fall is here, and two of my favorite bright jewels of the season arrive - persimmons and pomegranates. These delicious fall pleasures raise some questions: what to look for at the market, how to eat, and how to prepare?

Persimmons

Persimmons are nicknamed the apple of the Orient. A welcome sight in the autumn, this brilliant orange fruit is rich and sweet when ripe. There are two varieties—both bright orange in color. The pointed-tip acorn-shaped Hachiya is too astringent (from tannins) to eat until the fruit is soft and fully ripened. The smaller, flat-bottom Fuyu-type persimmon is sweet and flavorful while firm and crisp. The persimmon tree is often planted in gardens for its ornamental qualities, and even after it drops its leaves in late fall or early winter, the bright orange fruit clings to the bare branches.

• Buying Tips:

  Look for smooth, brilliant orange skins with the green cap attached. The Hachiya is at the ideal eating stage when it gives readily and is squishy soft. For Fuyu-type persimmons, color is the main clue to its ripeness. Shiny bright orange color signifies good eating!

• Storage:

  Keep persimmons at room temperature until soft. Fuyus will stay firm for two or three weeks at room temperature. Unripe Hachiya persimmons can ripen further by keeping them at room temperature for a week or more. To hasten ripening, especially the Hachiya types, enclose fruit in a paper bag with an apple for 3 days or so, and check frequently. Refrigerate ripe fruit, unwashed in a plastic bag.

• Preparation:

  Bite into a crisp Fuyu persimmon like an apple or slice or puree if the fruit is soft. It’s messier to bite into a Hachiya persimmon. Instead, cut an “X” in the point end of the fruit with a sharp knife, peel back the skin and spoon out the soft pulp inside.

• Serving Ideas:

  Hachiya pulp is perfect for baking, in puddings, cakes, cookies and quick breads. However, this variety acquires an unpleasant astringent taste when used in cooking or baking unless the pulp is first combined with baking soda. Serve crisp Fuyu persimmon slices in fruit, poultry, fish or smoked meat salads.

Pomegranate

Translated, the name pomegranate means “apple with many seeds.” Pomegranates are a colorful fall fruit about the size of a large apple with hard, leather-like deep red skin. Its translucent, scarlet pulp surrounds clusters of glistening ruby red seeds embedded between shiny, tough (and bitter) white membranes. Although many types of the fruit are cultivated world-wide, the Wonderful or Red Wonderful is the most common variety available in the United States. In North America and Europe, the pomegranate is used commercially to make grenadine syrup. While effort and perseverance are required to eat pomegranates, the treasures yielded are well worth it.

• Buying Tips:

  Shipped ripe and ready to eat, look for richly colored large fruit that’s heavy for its size. Heavy fruits promise more juice.

• Storage:

  Store pomegranates out of direct sunlight in a cool place for up to two weeks. Whole, in the refrigerator, they’ll last for up to two months or more. Once peeled, the seeds will last a week or more in the refrigerator. The seeds, packed tightly into an airtight container in the freezer, will keep two to three months. Refrigerate juice for up to 5 days; freeze for up to 6 months.

• Preparation:

  To remove the seeds, cut out the blossom end of the fruit, removing with it some of the white pith, but taking care not to pierce the red seeds within. Lightly score the skin in quarters, from stem to blossom end. Gently break the fruit in half, following the score lines, then break each piece in half again. Don’t cut the fruit, or you’ll release the juices. Bend back the rind and pull out the seeds.
  To juice the pomegranate, halve it, and crush each half in an orange juicer squeezer. Since it’s almost impossible to accomplish this without getting the bitter white pith mixed into the juice, straining is a must. Enjoying the seeds and juice of a pomegranate is a messy proposition, especially since the juice stains clothing permanently unless washed with bleach.

• Serving Ideas:

  Add pomegranate seeds to poultry stuffings, toss in green salads or sprinkle over fresh fruit for color. Use the juice in marinades and sauces. For dessert, sprinkle the seeds on custards or ice cream.