How to Cut a Persimmon

Cutting a Hachiya Persimmon

Place the Hachiya persimmon upright on the cutting board. When placing the persimmon, make sure it is centered and stable. You do not want the persimmon slipping off of the cutting board, squirting juice on the counter, or slipping under the knife while you are attempting to cut it.

Cut the persimmon leaves at their base with a knife. Make sure to use a sharp kitchen knife, as the leaves can be thick and tough. This step makes the removal of the stem and the slicing of the actual fruit easier because there will be less to get in the way of the knife.

Cut a V-shape around and underneath the stem. Make the cut shallow, so you do not cut out too much of the actual persimmon fruit. The vertical height of this V-cut is recommended to be only slightly longer than the actual stem, which can range from around one to one and a half centimeters. You can also pull out the stem with your hands. The stem of the Hachiya persimmon should come out easily if it is fully ripe.However, this method is less exact, has the potential to be messier, and can result in you pulling out too much of the actual fruit along with the stem.

Slice the persimmon in half. Place the middle of the sharp knife down the center of the persimmon, where the stem used to be. Simultaneously move the knife forward as you push downward. This will slice the persimmon in half. Make sure you are watching your hand and knife placement. If you cut yourself, wash it and put antibiotics on it. If it is more serious, seek medical attention.

Scoop out the inner contents of the fruit. With a spoon, scoop the persimmon meat out of its skin. An easy way to do this is by scooping out the contents from side of the persimmon, where the inner fruit meets the skin, almost like scooping an avocado. If you cannot get all the persimmon out in one scoop that is okay! Keep scooping until you are satisfied.

Slicing a Fuyu Persimmon

Peel the Fuyu persimmon skin. Put pressure on the persimmon skin with the peeler as you pull the peeler back toward you. Continue this movement around the fruit until the skin is completely removed. This is optional, as the skin is edible; however, peeling the skin is helpful because it makes the persimmon less likely to slip under a knife while slicing it.

Position the Fuyu persimmon to stand vertically on the cutting board. When placing the persimmon, make sure it is centered and stable. You do not want the persimmon slipping off of the cutting board or slipping under the knife while you are attempting to cut it.

Trim the persimmon leaves as much as possible. Make sure to use a sharp kitchen knife, as the leaves can be thick and tough. This step makes the removal of the stem and the cutting easier because there will be less excess in the way of the knife.

Remove the stem by cutting it out at a forty-five degree V-shape. Make the cut shallow, so you do not cut out too much of the actual persimmon fruit. The vertical height of this V-cut is recommended to be only slightly longer than the actual stem, which can be anywhere from one to one and a half centimeters.

Cut the persimmon in two. Place the middle of the sharp knife down the center of the persimmon, where the stem used to be. Simultaneously move the knife forward as you push downward. This will slice the persimmon in half.

Slice the persimmon halves into wedges. Cut the persimmon halves in half again by using the same slicing motion. Continue to cut each half into smaller halves until you are satisfied. Wedges are typically around one to two centimeters, yet can vary depending on personal preference. If you are baking with persimmons or placing them on a platter, you may consider cutting the persimmon into incredibly thin wedges. You can slice them as thin as around one fifth of a centimeter.