Foodie In Florence: A New Fruit Discovery For Fall

I journeyed back to the Central Market today since my cupboard in the apartment contains apple cider vinegar and boullion cubes. My goal was the produce stands and not to get distracted by the meats, cheeses, or another lampredotto sandwich. 

I bought the usual fall bounty of apples, clementines, and fennel but what caught my eye were these tomato-looking fruits wrapped in an adorable paper. They have an orange hue, were perfectly round and absolutely mysterious to me. Naturally, I bought three.

I knew they looked ripe, but I didn't realize how soft they were until the bottom of my bag looked like a jar of baby food exploded. The remnants were ooey and gooey and insanely sweet! I salvaged my mess and threw it all in a pot. It was already super soft and sweet and looked like it'd make a delicious jam. So that's what I did. I boiled it down, watched the color change to a lighter orange, and I made a disaster in my sink trying to strain it through a steamer (Our apartment is not equipped with measuring spoons/cups, wisks, a blender, or even a toaster) Luckily, it came out alright. I just hope I didn't clog the sink.

I hopped on my computer and Googled strange words like, orange and mushy with pudding-like texture and somehow came across the fruit persimmons. Mine is called a Fuyu persimmon. Turns out it originated in Asia and is used in cookies, puddings, cakes and butters, so it looks like I wasn't too far off with my culinary approach after all. Despite some of the bizarre qualities of persimmons it really is a succulent fruit that could be eaten whole (if not too ripe like mine) or sliced in a salad. Lucky for us, it's in season now! Shoprite and Stop and Shop may not be offering this versatile fruit so check out your local farmers markets!