John Sigona’s Pick of the Week: Delicious & Nutritious Dried Persimmons

John Sigona’s dried fruit and nut selection of the week is delicious and nutritious dried persimmons.

For a limited time, enjoy this unique item at these very special prices:

4.5 oz. – $2.49 (Reg. $3.99)
9.5 oz. – $3.99 (Reg. $6.99)
Bulk – $6.49 lb. (Reg. $9.99)

Are you one of the many who have not yet enjoyed our dried persimmons? If so, you’ve got to give them a try. They are so delicious and so good for you. Ours are of the Hachiya variety and are both excellent tasting and nutritious.

The ancient Greeks referred to persimmons as “the fruit of the Gods” or “nature’s candy” and for good reason. Native to China, persimmons made it to California in the 18th century. Our Golden State currently produces around 99% of the national market.

I love persimmons dried or fresh. Since fresh persimmons are only available about three months out of the year, usually from October through December, it’s especially satisfying that the dried version not only taste delicious, but it may even be healthier than the fresh variety. Dried persimmons retain their delicious, nutritious, unique and distinct flavor just the same as the fresh kind. The only difference being that because the dried are concentrated, they actually have much more nutritional value, pound for pound, compared to their fresh counterpart.

John Sigona is the dried fruit & nut buyer for Sigona’s Farmers Markets in Palo Alto and Redwood City, Calif.

Besides tasting delicious, here are a few nutritional reasons I’m excited about our exquisite dried Hachiya persimmons:

• Pound for pound they have four times the fiber of fresh
• Two times the protein of fresh
• Overall a very rich source of fiber
• Good amount of vitamin A
• Contains calcium, potassium, phosphorus and magnesium
• Contains trace amounts of iron and zinc

Our dried Hachiya persimmons are a wonderful out-of-hand treat along with all of the other ways to eat them, including my own special discoveries:

• Chop them up and put them in a special fresh fruit salad, which includes: fresh mango, fresh pineapple, fresh grapes and fresh kiwi fruit
• They’re terrific in cookies and breads
• They’re wonderful in granola, yogurt, trail mixes, cooked cereals and salads of all kinds
• Serve them with your favorite tea!