Yes, a persimmon with little brown spots or streaks inside is perfectly fine to eat. In Rojo Brillante persimmons, those spots usually come from the treatment used to remove their astringency, and they're purely cosmetic: they don't change the flavour and they won't upset your stomach. It's like opening a banana and finding a little ripening spot in the flesh.
It's one of the things you ask us most in autumn. You cut open a firm persimmon, gorgeous on the outside, and inside there are brown streaks around the centre. Lots of people's first reaction is to throw it away. So I asked Salvador, a fellow grower who farms persimmons, and here's what he told me, word for word.
What are the little brown spots or streaks inside a persimmon?
His answer was straightforward: "These little spots that appear inside are usually due to the treatments we use to remove the persimmon's astringency."
To understand it, you need to know how the Rojo Brillante works, and this is key: "The persimmon is an astringent fruit, meaning it's harsh, you can't eat it. So, to eat it firm or fairly firm, it's given a treatment that's completely natural and organic, which takes away that harshness."
In other words: the firm, crunchy persimmon you eat can't be eaten straight off the tree, because it's harsh and leaves your mouth feeling furry. That step of removing the astringency is what lets you eat it firm, and that's sometimes where those spots come from.
How do you remove the astringency from a persimmon?
Here he explains it, with the traditional method: "Usually, well, you use alcohol, drinking alcohol, any alcohol we have at home. You coat it with that and, after a few days, it loses its astringency."
When he says it's a "completely natural and organic" treatment, that's what he means: nothing strange, just drinking alcohol like anyone has at home, and the goal is for the persimmon to lose its harshness without losing its firmness. If you'd like more detail, we explain it in how to remove the astringency from persimmons.
So why do those dark spots appear?
Here's the full explanation: "But sometimes, especially with more, let's say, industrial treatments, meaning larger quantities, a bit of heat is also applied, so sometimes that affects the colour inside the persimmon a little. But it never affects the flavour, it's simply a cosmetic thing."
In short: when the process is done in large quantities and with some heat, the persimmon can change colour a little inside. It's an effect on the colour, nothing more. The flavour is the same.
How can you tell a normal spot from an overripe persimmon?
Here I'd rather be honest with you. I asked him exactly that, by colour, smell or texture, and he said: "On point two, for persimmons, I can't give you any information."
I'm not going to make up a rule he didn't give me. What we do know for sure is what's above: the brown streaks from the treatment are just about colour. A persimmon that's genuinely gone off shows it in other ways, not through the spot: it sinks when you touch it, leaks juice or smells fermented. If you're unsure about a particular one, write to us and we'll take a look with you.
Does it have to do with ripeness or how I store it at home?
No. His answer: "It's not necessarily down to ripeness. Sometimes it happens and sometimes it doesn't, and it's not about how it's stored at home either."
So if you get a persimmon with spots, you haven't done anything wrong. You didn't store it badly, and you didn't leave it too long.
Is there a trick to stop them appearing?
No, and he says so himself: "I don't know of any trick to stop those spots from appearing." Sometimes they appear and sometimes they don't. It's part of working with real fruit.
And what if you've already thrown one away because of a dark spot?
This is the part of his voice message I liked most: "I'd tell them not to, because it's an absolutely just as good and edible persimmon. It's like when you eat a banana, you open it and there's a little lighter ripening spot in the flesh. You eat it and it's perfect. Well, the same thing happens with persimmons. It doesn't affect the flavour or anything like that at all. It's a perfectly normal persimmon."
It happens with lots of things from the farm: we think fruit has to be perfect inside and out, and a mark makes us doubt it. But it's the same as with a little spot on an orange's peel: it doesn't mean it's bad.
Frequently asked questions about spots in persimmons
Can you eat a persimmon with brown streaks inside?
Yes. They usually come from the treatment to remove astringency and only affect the colour, never the flavour.
Why does my Rojo Brillante persimmon have spots inside and another one doesn't?
Because sometimes it happens and sometimes it doesn't. It doesn't depend on ripeness or on how you store it at home.
Are the spots mould or something bad?
No. They're a colour change that happens during the process of removing astringency, especially when it's done in large quantities and with some heat.
Do they affect the flavour?
No. In the grower's own words, "it never affects the flavour, it's simply a cosmetic thing".
Is there a way to avoid them?
There's no known trick to stop them appearing.
And why does the persimmon need that treatment?
Because freshly picked it's astringent and can't be eaten firm. The treatment removes that harshness so you can eat it firm and crunchy.
If you fancy trying them, we harvest our Rojo Brillante Persimmon when you order it. And if you prefer them soft, to eat with a spoon, we have the traditional soft persimmon, the classic one. To learn the differences, here are the types of persimmons you can find.
Thanks so much for reading!
