Persimmon

     The whole winter a bright orange overseas fruit - persimmon (in translation from Persian it means "date") stays on the counters of our stores.  According to dietetic, gustatory and nourishing properties this fruit takes the second place after citrus. When the first European settlers of North America have tried this fruit, they did not go into raptures.  The astringent taste of the food of  gods (so the name of this fruit is translated from the Latin) seemed to them, to put it mildly, in unpleasant. Each experiences the same sensations, who will try premature persimmon. 

     Rather prolonged time Europeans considered this fruit inedible, until Indians explained to them that persimmon cannot be eaten before the first frost.  Naive Europeans assumed that frost improved gustatory qualities of this fruit; however, Indians meant the time of complete ripening of " orange tomato ".  The astringent effect of this exotic fruit is explained by the high content of tannin  in the fruits during the ripening. This substance is removed, as soon as fruit ripens completely.  When Europeans tried ripe persimmon, they radically changed their opinion about it and even they compared it with apricots. 

     There are about 500 varieties of persimmon. Majority of them grows in tropical climate.  Basic known to us species - astringent Caucasian, not astringent Japanese and sweet chocolate, or Oriental persimmon. Furthermore, that the persimmon contains a sufficient and valuable quantity of useful trace elements, this fruit possesses a number of irreplaceable and very useful properties.     

     Thus, for instance, persimmon is used with the disease of thyroid gland, due to the fact that fruit contains deal of iodine.  Thanks to abundance of glucose and fructose it is possible to satisfy hunger by 2-3 fruits of persimmon. 

     Ripe fruits contribute to an improvement in the work of gastrointestinal tract, liver, sight, they normalize the work of the skin and sexual glands. This fruit even contributes to the delay of an increase of  age-related tumors, just as pumpkin, marigold, sea-buckthorn, apricot and other yellowish-orange fruits and vegetables.  Rich in vitamins C and P persimmon beneficially has an influence on vessels, reduces their brittleness and permeability. Doctors recommend the using of this fruit to those, who suffer from varicose disease and stomatorrhagia.  Persimmon is useful for heart sufferers, because there is much potassium in it.  It completely can replace Valocordin (a heart drug).  Eat 2-3 fruits of persimmon daily, and you for a long time will forget about the pains in a heart.  Magnesium containing in persimmon decreases a probability of the formation of stones in kidneys, and vitamin A shields from cancer.

     This fruit possesses diuretic action and tonic properties. It calms nervous system, increases efficiency.  It has bactericidal action in the case of colibacillus and grass bacillus, of staphylococcus.

     Unfortunately, because of high content of easily digestible sugars persimmon is not recommended to use with obesity and diabetes mellitus.  

     Here are some folk prescriptions:

- With a cold and the cough it is useful to rinse throat by the juice of one ripe fruit of persimmon, mixed with 3,5 table spoons of warm water.

- The juice of persimmon helps to get rid of chronic diarrhea.  Part 6 ripe fruits and hold them for 20 min in 3 glasses of  boiling water under the cover.  Strain broth, and intake 0,5 l for every 4 h.

- With stomatorrhagia, hypertonia, edemas wash the leaves of persimmon, dry, grind them to powder and intake 1/4 of t.s. 2 times a day after food during 5-7 days.

- persimmon is rich in iron; therefore its juice is recommended with anemia 2 times a day per  50-100 ml before food.

- mask from the pulp of persimmon and egg yolk helps with tendency to acne. Furthermore, it is possible to make masks from the pulp of persimmon, if the skin lost tone and fresh appearance.     

     Ripe persimmon has bright orange color and brownish leaflets.  Ripe fruits must be sufficiently soft.  But here if black points and spots have appeared on this fruit, then it already began to rot.             

     Persimmon must be stored with very great care, avoiding the surface damage of fruits.  The supercooling is detrimental for unripe fruits.  Ripe persimmon or its pulp it is possible to store in the refrigerator for several days; also it is possible to freeze it.  And on half a year - it is such period of storage of frozen berries of persimmon - you will be provided with useful for the organism substances.  

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