I have some fruit which I’ve never had to deal with before and I’m not sure what to do with them.
I have 2 Hachiya persimmons, a bunch of concord grapes, one honeydew which is almost all green (still tasty though), a pomegranate (probably not going to last long since I can’t seem to stop eating it.
I also have about 6 plums which are over a month old and still in perfect shape, two bunches of bananas, a big bag of fresh dates (how long do these last before they go off?).
I love grapes but the concord grapes are almost too sweet for me to eat so I’m guessing they’re good for cooking. The persimmons are totally new to me. They looked interesting. Now I’m at a loss as to what I should do with them. I’m sure I can eat the honeydew but is there something more interesting I can do with it?
I like dates and bananas but I’m thinking there must be something more interesting I can do than banana date bread.
So, any ideas?
The persimmons should not be consumed until they are very obviously ripe - they should feel slightly soft to the touch and maybe even be starting to turn brown.
I don’t know of any specific ways to prepare them other than fruit salad or just eating them as a dessert fruit - quartering them and spooning out the soft flesh and edible seeds, discarding the tough skin.
Plums go well with pork. I’d go for a chutney style. Just cut out the stones, cut them up a bit. Saute some onions, add the plums and some nice spices (cinnamon, cloves, that sort of stuff) cook until you’ve got a tick stew - shouldn’t take too long.
The same may also work for dates, but I like fresh dates in yoghurt with a little sugar.
Dried dates work well with rice and nuts.
Honeydew with smoked sliced ham (Parma, for example) is heavenly as a starter.
Bananas are for eating straight up, or doused in rum, then fried with batter.
Listen to Mangetout on the persimmon. They are extremely astringent when they’re under ripe. If you eat it too soon you are going to have a case of cottonmouth to rival waking up after the mother of all whiskey binges.
I thought this thread would be about an *Everybody Loves Raymond *episode.
Here’s my favourite plum cake recipe. I’ve made it twice already this year. 
You can also use plums to make jam or chutney. I’ve got great recipes for both… just let me know if you’re interested and I’ll post those as well.
Persimmons have a really subtle flavour that tends to do best if you eat them straight up. Just wait until they’re ripe, they slice up, drizzle with a little honey and chow down.
If you must, you can also puree ripe persimmons and use them in baked goods like quickbreads, muffins and pancakes. Bananas, if they’re really ripe, can also be mashed up and used the same way, or you can make banana cookies(haven’t tried this one yet, but I find that Elise’s recipes are usually quite reliable).
I’d also vote with eating the honeydew plain, or drizzle it with a little honey and a sprinkling of chopped fresh mint if you want to go a bit fancier.
