Nutritional Information:
Excellent source of vitamin C.

What to Look For:
Select one with soft, deep red-orange skin, with no yellow areas. Hard persimmons are too tart to eat; try ripening in a paper bag with a banana or an apple. Pick a persimmon that is very soft if you want to eat it immediately.

Easy Storage and Preparation:
Store in the refrigerator. They are best if used within two days.

Best Uses:
Peel before using raw. Add sliced persimmons to fruit salads or green salads. Or, for a simple cooked side dish, cut persimmons in half, keeping the peel, and cook quickly under the broiler.

Sample Recipe:
Broiled Persimmons

Pomegranates

Nutritional Information:
Good source of vitamin C and iron.

What to Look For:
Select one that feels heavy for its size and very plump. The top should be slightly soft when pressed and the skin should shine, not appear dry and dull.

Easy Storage and Preparation:
If refrigerated, they will keep for two weeks.

Best Uses:
Use the juice to flavor drinks, fruit soups, dessert creams and custards. Add the seeds to green salads. Can also be cooked into marmalade.

Sample Recipe:
Watercress and Pomegranate Salad

Quinces

Nutritional Information:
Excellent source of vitamin C, fiber and riboflavin.

What to Look For:
These fruits are known as golden apples, although their taste is a cross between an apple and a pear. There are two varieties: perfumed and pineapple. The perfumed quince is shaped a bit like a football while the pineapple quince is rounder and more pear-shaped. Both will turn from green to yellow when ripe.

Easy Storage and Preparation:
Look for firm yellow fruit and avoid ones that are too soft or have spots of mold. Quinces bruise easily but the marks don't affect the quality or taste. Store them in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for several weeks. Peel quinces before using.

Best Uses:
Quinces are best cooked. They are often used in jams — the flesh turns a beautiful purple color, becoming softer and sweeter once cooked. Quinces are a favorite for baking and preserving because of the sweet-sour flavor and high levels of pectin.