Pucker Power : The Hachiya and Fuyu varieties of the autumn fruit offer versatility for baking or eating fresh.

As the warm months pass each year, so go many of summer’s annual sugary treats. But about the time that fruit fanciers are mourning the end of the peach, plum and nectarine harvest, autumn ushers in a brightly hued exotic.

Persimmons are now at a market near you. And because of its short harvest season, the striking orange fruit will soon be gone. Normally available until about mid-December, fanciers have two varieties from which to choose.

The most common to U. S. markets are the Hachiya and Fuyu varieties. While similar in taste, the two have different qualities, providing versatility for either baking or eating fresh.

First the Hachiya: If you bake with persimmons, this is the variety you are most likely to use. Roundish in shape, the Hachiya is used only when soft and nearly mushy.

Bite down on an unripened Hachiya and your mouth is sure to pucker because of the fruit’s astringency. Left to ripen, however, its creamy pulp will distinctly sweeten cakes, cookies and other baked goodies. Not to say they aren’t enjoyed eating out of the hand. Indeed, they are, even frozen: Simply slice off the top of the fruit just below the stem. Tightly wrap with plastic wrap and freeze. After thawing in the refrigerator, the flesh can be spooned out for an icy treat.

As for the flattened globe-shaped Fuyu, you’re most likely to enjoy this firmer variety much like an apple. The Fuyu may be sliced and added to cereal, salads and fruit bowls. And unlike its cousin, the Fuyu can be enjoyed before it reaches an over-ripe state without leaving that grittiness on the teeth.

Both the Hachiya and the Fuyu also make a decorative addition to holiday table centerpieces.

Locally, persimmons are not grown on a grand scale. However, a fresh offering is available at area farmers’ markets and roadside stands, and at your local grocer.

“We have some nice, big Hachiyas that are going for 69 cents apiece,” said Jolene Benoit, operator of Ventura’s Organics To Market roadside stand at the corner of Telephone Road and Olivas Park Drive. “They’re beautiful, so get them soon because they won’t be around long.”

At the Thousand Oaks farmers’ market, Susan and Ron Haase of Fillmore offer the Fuyu variety. “They’re ripening up right now and we just started bringing a few to the market,” said Susan Haase. “They’ll run about $1 to $1.25 a pound.”

She said many of her customers are puzzled by the Fuyu variety. “Most people aren’t familiar with the Fuyus firmness. They think persimmons should be mushy before you eat them. These are great for lunch bags because they don’t bruise.”

But Fuyus can be left to soften, Haase said. “The Fuyu can run the whole persimmon gamut. You can enjoy it like a firm apple or let it ripen until it’s mushy. The sugar content will rise and will be just as sweet as the Hachiyas,” she said.

Here’s a ripening tip: Place fruit in a brown paper bag along with an apple or banana and close tightly. Apples and bananas release ethylene gas, which acts as a ripening agent.

Haase said their 30 trees, which are not sprayed, normally produce through the end of November.

Local Hachiya persimmons are also available at the O’Leary Apricot Ranch roadside stand at 6780 Wheeler Canyon Road, Santa Paula. “Hachiyas should be a deep orange-red before you eat them,” said ranch owner Bill O’Leary. “Then you know they’ll be as sweet as can be.”

O’Leary’s stand is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. He should have persimmons well into December. “Thirty pounds or more, we sell for 30 cents a pound. Less than 30 pounds are 50 cents a pound.”

SERVING SUGGESTION / PERSIMMON COOKIES

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1 egg

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup raisins, optional

1 cup pureed ripe persimmon pulp

1 teaspoon baking soda

Cream sugar and butter together. Beat in egg. Sift flour, nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves together. Stir in nuts and raisins.

Mix pureed persimmon pulp and baking soda. Add persimmon mixture and dry ingredients alternately to creamed butter and sugar mixture, mixing well after each addition. Drop batter by heaping teaspoons on greased baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees 15 minutes. Makes about 2 dozen.