This week’s featured fruit is the persimmon! Seasonal to fall, persimmons usually abundant in our warehouses from September to October.
Persimmons are a delicious fall fruit and are a powerhouse of nutrients and phytochemicals. Phytochemicals are non-nutritive substances found in fruits and vegetables that provide protective properties when consumed. Some of these phytochemicals include flavonoids, tannins, and carotenoids. Phytochemicals are becoming of great interest to researchers for their role in prevention and reversal of diseases such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Consuming persimmon leaves has also been shown to have beneficial effects against oxidative stress, hypertension, diabetes and atherosclerosis.
Butt, Masood Sadiq, et al. “Persimmon (Diospyros kaki) fruit: hidden phytochemicals and health claims.” EXCLI journal 14 (2015): 542.
Persimmon Bread: From www.healthiersteps.com
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 tablespoons ground flax seeds
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose gluten-free flour
- 1/2 cup almond flour, or almond meal
- 1 cup coconut sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup persimmon pulp
- 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice, (optional)
- 1/2 cup Raisins
- 1/4 cup pecans
Preheat oven 350 degrees F. Line 9×3 loaf pan with parchment paper and lightly grease, set aside.
Mix water with flax seeds in a bowl and set aside for 5 minutes.
In a large bowl, combine gluten-free all purpose flour, almond flour, coconut sugar, baking powder, salt
In a small bowl mix coconut oil, vanilla, persimmon puree and flax seed mixture.
Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients until fully combined. Stir in raisins and pecans.
Scoop batter into prepared loaf pan and bake for 1 hour or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
Remove loaf from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes in the loaf pan before removing to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Bread keeps for about 5 days in airtight container and freezes well.
Written by Taylor Brower.