After a long, hot summer, fall is finally here and with it comes a bevy of earth-toned fruit that mimic the colors of the changing leaves. When you think of juice made from autumn fruit, apples are about the only ones that come to mind, but this delicious juice, taught to me by a friend, is an unexpected combination of flavors and colors that captures the season in a glass. Sweet and nutty with a floral accent from the Asian pear, it has a thick smoothie-like texture and yet is light and easy to drink.

When making this juice I like to use non-astringent varieties of persimmon such as Fuyu Persimmons (the short flat type, not the long pointy kind), as they don’t have the astringency that astringent varieties such as hachiya persimmons can have. Astringent varieties of persimmons can also be used, but they need to be extremely ripe (mushy) in order to be edible.

While juices are always best made when you plan to drink it, if you do plan to make this ahead, be sure to add a little lemon juice to keep the juice from oxidizing. The lemon can also give the juice a nice tang, balancing out the sweetness.

Autumn Juice

This Autumn Juice recipe combines persimmons and pears to create a light, floral beverage.

Ingredients

• 6 ounces ripe fuyu persimmon (about 2 persimmons)
• 4 ounces Asian pear (1/2 large pear)
• 1/3 cup water

Directions

1. Quarter and peel the persimmons, and roughly chop. Peel and core the pear and roughly chop.
2. Add the persimmon and Asian pear to a blender with the water. Blend until smooth, add more water as needed to get the desired consistency.

Prep Time: 2 Minutes

Yield: 2 glasses