Dried persimmon: useful properties and contraindications.

Our diet consists of a variety of fruits and vegetables. The latter may be locally grown or brought from tropical countries. Many people mistakenly believe that all brightly colored fruits are considered exotic. These misconceptions also apply to persimmons, a bright, sunny fruit with a sweet-tart taste. This juicy berry, which is how it should be called correctly, provides the body with a whole complex of vitamins, and they are well preserved in dried form. Unlike the fresh fruit, dried persimmon is available all year round, which is its main advantage.

Composition and Calories

Juicy persimmon with its bright cheerful color is a natural source of vitamins and trace elements that enrich the body, charging it with energy. The composition of this large fruit includes:

• macro- and micronutrients;
• polysaccharides (glucose and fructose);
• carotene;
• dietary fiber;
• antioxidants;
• Organic acids (malic and citric);
• A range of vitamins, chief among which is vitamin C.

Most of all persimmon contains potassium (200 mg) and calcium (120 mg). In second place are magnesium and phosphorus (50 mg each). Due to such a composition, this fruit is often compared to seafood, which is known for its beneficial properties for the body.

With such a rich composition of persimmon has a very low caloric value: only 67 kcal per 100 grams of product. As a bonus - a complete absence of cholesterol.

This is interesting! From Latin the name of the fruit is translated as "divine fire". And the Russian name of the fruit has deep roots in the Farsi language, in which it means "date plum". This name originally referred only to a particular variety of fruit growing in the Caucasus, and subsequently spread to all others.

What is the usefulness of dried persimmon

Regular use of the fruit enriches the active elements that have a beneficial effect on the body. The valuable natural properties of dried persimmon were among the first noticed by the ancient Chinese, who began to use it in folk medicine. Each element contained in the product is responsible for "its" function:

1. The enzymes in persimmon help to reduce the level of oxidation caused by the alcohol taken, thus eliminating its negative effect on the organs.
2. The fruit has a good effect on gastrointestinal activity, reducing the likelihood of bleeding for conditions such as hemorrhoids.
3. Thanks to its high potassium content, persimmon increases the tone of blood vessels, having a positive effect on blood circulation.
4. The dried fruit is recommended as an anti-inflammatory for colds that are accompanied by a severe cough.
5. Dried persimmon contains rare betulinic acid, which is known for its ability to fight cancer and block the growth of cancer cells.
6. Crushed dried fruit can be used to treat skin lesions. It acts as a natural antiseptic.
7. The fruit is excellent for cleansing the body, removes toxins and detoxes naturally. This makes the product indispensable for people who want to stick to a healthy diet.
8. The immunity of the body is well strengthened due to the high content of vitamin C, which helps to maintain health even during the exacerbation of viral diseases.

In addition to all of the above, dried persimmon helps to regulate sugar and cholesterol, lowering their levels, which is beneficial for the health of blood vessels and the body as a whole.

Useful properties of dried persimmon for weight loss

The low calorie content of the product along with its nutritional value allows you to include it in the menu for weight loss. Dried fruit can be consumed as a healthy snack, recommended for dietary diets. In addition, there are whole courses on weight loss with the help of this bright fruit.

You can use persimmon at any time of day, especially good for breakfast, as it will energize the body for the whole day. This fruit is also suitable for days of dieting, as it quickly saturates, blunting the feeling of hunger. It is recommended to make such days no more than once a week, so as not to harm the body. It is necessary to eat only high-quality fruits, especially if they make up the main diet. For one unloading day you will need 1 kg of fruits and 1 liter of nonfat kefir. The whole set is divided into 5 meals, so that the food in small quantities is more frequent in the body.

Important! Use dried persimmons as a separate snack, not combined with the main meal. A large amount of fructose will complicate the process of digestion, if it occurs on a full stomach.

If we are not talking about a mono-diet, then you can add the healthy fruit to the regular menu as well:

1. For breakfast, you can serve oatmeal with the addition of pieces of dried persimmon.
2. For lunch, some cottage cheese will do.
3. At lunch, you can make a light soup with chicken broth and a vegetable salad.
4. After 2 hours make a snack with dried fruit.
5. Dinner can consist of a vegetable stew and one boiled egg.

Such a diet will not only help to lose extra pounds, but also saturate the body with useful elements contained in the fruit.

Dried persimmon in medicine

1. Dried persimmon is widely used as an aid in the fight against a number of diseases, and it is also prescribed in many diets during the rehabilitation process.
2. Dried fruit is recommended for people with gastrointestinal problems. It is also prescribed for bad stools accompanied by diarrhea.
3. Regular use can improve cerebral blood circulation, which has a positive effect on the organs of vision. Therefore, it is advised to constantly use dried persimmon in case of vision problems.
4. Especially useful is this fruit for pregnant women. It enriches the body with valuable iron and fiber, which is extremely important during this period, fights anemia and constipation, which often bother women during the period of childbirth.
5. Dried fruit is often used to make healing infusions and balms, which are used for coughs and hemorrhoids.

Culinary uses for dried persimmons

Dried persimmons can perfectly replace candy to lovers of sweets, saturate the body with healthy fructose. The fruit is often used as an additive to various desserts. The fruit is cut into small pieces and mixed with ice cream, cream, soufflé or used as a decoration when serving a dish.

The product is suitable for the preparation of flavored pies and buns, acting as a filling. And one of the tastiest recipes culinary experts consider cheesecakes from cottage cheese with the addition of dried fruit, cut into small slices. It turns out quite an original taste and a beautiful appearance.

Dried persimmon is often added to sweet pilaf together with raisins and apricots, frying the fruit in butter together with onions. It is also used as a separate sweet dish along with tea, especially green tea.

Persimmon in meat dishes
Persimmon is also used for cooking meat dishes, it goes particularly well with chicken. One common recipe is rolls of chicken fillet with persimmon stuffing. The chicken fillet is chopped, cut into thin slices, slightly fried on both sides, then a persimmon slice is wrapped in each piece. Ready rolls are stewed for 15 minutes. Serve with olives, which are pinned with skewers, so that the rolls don't fall apart.

Harms and contraindications

You should not abuse the sweet fruit for certain categories of people, namely:

1. Patients with diabetes. The fruit contains a large amount of fructose and sucrose, which can harm the health and cause complications in the acutely pronounced form of the disease.
2. Suffering from pancreatic diseases, especially in the period of exacerbation or after surgery.
3. Children under the age of 3 years. It can provoke gastric disorders and allergic reactions.
4. Women during lactation. You should be careful to introduce dried fruit in your diet, watching the reaction of the child to new products. It is best to start with 2 pieces a day, gradually increasing the dose, but no more than 4.
5. Allergic persons. Persimmon is not suitable for individual intolerance of the body of certain elements that are in its composition, especially those substances that are present in large quantities.

How to choose and store dried persimmons

Buy or store persimmons better in dried form, as the product has a more useful composition, a pleasant taste without the astringent effect and is stored for a long time. Buying the product in finished form, you should pay attention to the main sign of quality product, namely the uniform white patina. If it is present on the selected fruit, you should make sure that it does not rub off. This could be the case if the fruit was simply sprinkled with starch or flour to attract the consumer.

The second thing to look at is the condition of the fruit. It should be soft and pliable, like rubber.

For storing dried whole fruits, it is recommended to cut off the stalks, after which they can be stored in a glass container with a tightly closed lid, putting it in a dark closet. Also suitable freezer, in which persimmons, both whole and cut, stacked in disposable bags. The temperature is set no more than -5 degrees. In this way the fruit can be stored for 6 months.

Why dried persimmons have a white patina

White uniform patina indicates that in front of you a natural product, dried by the right method. It has retained all of its wonderful properties. The correct coating is the sugar from drying the fruit, and it should stay on the skin without rubbing off. This is the main attribute by which dried persimmons are chosen.

How to dry persimmons at home

In order to enjoy the opportunity to consume the fruit all year round, were invented various methods of drying them, which perfectly preserves not only the taste, but also the useful properties of the product. Persimmon, being a berry by nature, is also suitable for freezing, becoming then the basis for vitamin compotes and lemonades. But a more traditional method of preserving this fruit is drying. This is done with apricots, prunes and raisins. In addition to preserving all the properties, drying helps to get rid of the fruit of its characteristic tartness.

For drying suitable varieties of persimmons, both tart and not. Pay attention to the level of maturity of the fruit, it should not be soft. Only unripe hard fruits should be chosen, but the size does not matter. The next criterion is a homogeneous surface texture, without scratches and microcracks, absolutely smooth and not crushed. One more important detail: for drying are suitable fruits with a dry stalk, which fits tightly to the fruit. Green or even worse rotten stalk indicates that the product is spoiled.

Persimmons can be dried naturally or with special equipment.

Method 1. For drying in natural conditions you need a dry room with good ventilation and without access to sunlight, which over-dry the product, destroying all the useful elements. Drying can be done both in sliced form, and completely whole fruits of small size. They are wrapped by the stem with a strong thread and hung around the room at a sufficient distance from each other for good air circulation. The whole process takes 2 weeks. If everything goes right, by the end of 1 week the fruits will be covered with a white coating. This is the sugar that has come to the surface, which is considered indicative of a properly dried persimmon.

Method 2. The most popular method of drying that can be applied at home is to cook the fruit using an oven. It is better if it will be an electric device, which guarantees a constant temperature, without jumps, as when using gas stoves. To do this, you need to choose a ripe, but hard enough, wash and cut into slices 2 mm wide. Then place them on a baking tray covered with parchment. Prepare in advance the lemon juice at the rate of 2 pieces per half a kilogram of persimmons. Squeeze out the juice and strain. Before sending the fruit into the oven, sprinkle them with lemon juice, so that they do not darken, preserving a beautiful appetizing appearance. The temperature in the oven should be 90 degrees. Drying takes 2-3 hours. The readiness will be indicated by a thin crust that appears on the persimmon slices.

Do I have to wash dried persimmons before eating them?

If the fruits have been harvested on their own and have been pretreated, there is no need to wash them immediately before eating. The purchased variant is recommended to boil them before eating, in order to kill all the germs that are invariably present in such products. Many people are reinsured and thoroughly soak persimmons before eating them. This is an effective way that will do a good job of protecting against bacteria.

If the product is used for cooking with heat treatment, such manipulation is not necessary. All germs are killed by exposure to high temperatures.

How to make compote from dried persimmons

From the fruit you can prepare a delicious and very useful drink. Thanks to its tonic effect, it is suitable for consumption in the summer. In winter, it will warm and saturate the body, weakened in this period.

Recipe 1

To prepare the following ingredients will be needed:

• dried persimmons - 800-900 grams;
• Clean filtered water - 2 liters;
• granulated sugar - 200 grams.

The first step is to prepare the syrup, for this you need to mix sugar with water, and putting on minimum heat, bring to a boil. Then add persimmons and boil for 5-7 minutes. Allow the drink to infuse, after which it is ready to eat. Serve hot or chilled at your discretion.

Recipe 2

An excellent warming drink in winter is a compote of persimmon with ginger. Alcohol and spicy herbs are traditionally added to it, making a great drink for walking around on a frosty day. To make it, you need a set of products consisting of:

• dried persimmons;
• lemon juice;
• rum or other alcohol;
• ginger;
• spicy herbs (cinnamon and cloves).

The preparation also begins with sugar syrup, in which cloves and cinnamon and lemon peel are added. All this is cooked on low heat for 20-30 minutes. Then carefully remove the rest of the herbs and zest and add persimmons. The drink is boiled for another 5 minutes and covered with a lid to infuse. Alcohol is added as desired before drinking. This is an excellent preventive measure against hypothermia and colds.

You can preserve the compote by pouring it into sterilized jars. Also the recipe welcomes experiments with different combinations of products, which can be added according to your taste.

Interesting facts about persimmons

1. The persimmon is a member of the ebony family, whose varieties grow worldwide in the number of 1500 thousand species. Almost all of them require special climatic conditions, such as the tropics. Only 3 species of this family can be grown in our region, namely Caucasian, Oriental and Virginian varieties.
2. The Oriental variety came to us from China by transit through France. The variety first appeared there in the 18th century, and later spread to other Mediterranean countries. Oriental persimmon is considered one of the oldest varieties of fruit plants. It was obtained by natural crossing of wild trees.
3. Virginia or American persimmon as it is often called, is native to North America. It is one of the most valuable varieties with medicinal properties. It is widely used in medicine and cosmetology, acting as a natural remedy against bacteria. It is the variety that is recommended for people with urological diseases.
4. The Caucasian variety occupies a place of honor among citrus for its taste and medicinal properties. It is an irreplaceable supplier of copper and phosphorus, which nourish and purify the blood vessels of the brain.
5. Countries in which dried persimmon is regularly present in the diet, acting as an indispensable component of traditional dishes, organize festivals in its honor. This type of folk festival takes place every year in South Korea, which is considered one of the largest purveyors of the tasty treat. A large number of different varieties of persimmons grow in this country. For the guests of the festival prepare various activities with the main symbol, offering to learn the intricacies of the proper peeling and hanging fruit. You can take part in song and game contests, make healthy foot baths based on the fruit or just buy a variety of persimmons for sale. And also try the wonderful Korean punch, which is famous far beyond the country's borders.
6. Dried persimmons in Japan are used as a separate dish. Residents of this country value healthy foods and know how to consume them correctly in order to extend their youth and health. The Japanese name of the fruit "Hoshigaki" translates as candy, enriched with healthy vitamins. It is traditionally served with tea in the ancient ritual of the tea ceremony. In the Land of the Rising Sun, drying this fruit is practically everyone's business, it is a kind of island tradition. The process requires diligence and patience, which is a distinctive feature of the inhabitants of the country. Chinese and Japanese varieties dominate the market thanks to their excellent taste and high vitamin C content.

In order for dried persimmons to bring maximum benefits for the body, it is worth to be careful in choosing a ready-made product, buying it only from proven manufacturers. Or better yet, try to cook these fragrant and very nutritious dried fruits yourself, preserving the vitamin component.

Photo of dried persimmon