Yellow ones that yield to gentle pressure are ready to eat, and should be refrigerated. Green ones will ripen at room temperature in just a few days. Many people have sworn off persimmons for life after biting into an underripe, astringent Hachiya. But if you wait until it's ripened to a soft, shriveled mess, you can spoon out its exquisitely sweet and delicate pulp. Fuyus aren't as flavorful, but they're more idiot-proof in that you can eat them while they're still firm and not get your mouth in a pucker.
Pineapples are juicy, mildly acidic, and very versatile.
They can be squeezed for juice, sliced on cakes, skewered and grilled, or eaten raw without adornment. A new variety, the golden pineapple , is sweeter, juicier, and richer in vitamin C than ordinary pineapples. A white pineapple also has been developed. Canned pineapple is an acceptable substitute for fresh in many recipes. Cut through the pomegranate's leathery skin, and you'll find hundreds of pretty kernels, each with a tiny seed surrounded by ruby red pulp.