What To Do With Persimmons

It is persimmon season! I discovered persimmons a few years ago when I was offered a sample of Fuyu persimmons. I fell in love with that non-astringent Asian variety. Non-astringent persimmons can be eaten like an apple before they are fully ripened.Fuyu fruit on tree and slicedSince then, I have learned about the astringent varieties, including the American persimmons and some of the Asian varieties. Astringent persimmons must be fully ripe, baggy soft and practically falling off the trees before you eat them. They are wonderfully sweet at that point, but they are terribly bitter if eaten too soon. In my own garden I have two young persimmon trees. One is the Fuyu and another is the Tamopan, an astringent Asian kind.Persimmons stay on the tree longer than the leaves. My young Tamopan tree had two dozen fruit this year.

This beautiful Tamopan persimmon was not yet ripe when this picture was taken in early November.I love both kinds. Persimmons are known as the Fruit of the Gods for good reason.

But what to do with these persimmons? My fuyus get sliced and eaten raw. They are great in salads. Fuyus are also delicious roasted and served with ham, turkey, or roast pork. One can eat the astringent kind raw, but remember they must be fully ripe! Just slice the tops off and scoop out the sweet pulp, which will have a gelatinous consistency. Persimmons also may be pureed, then frozen to eat like a slushie. I love my Tamopans for cooking, however. One can find recipes for persimmon pies, pudding, jelly and cookies, and I have a recipe for persimmon bread that is a huge family favorite.

Here is that recipe: 

Persimmon Bread, will make two 9 inch loaves.

• 3 1/2 cups sifted flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil or 1 cup melted unsalted butter, cooled to room temperature
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
• 2/3 cups cooking sherry or your favorite libation: Cognac, bourbon, or whiskey all work well
• 2 cups persimmon puree ( from about 4-5 squishy-soft Tamopan, Hachiya or other Asian persimmons. I just cut the tops off my Tamopans and scoop the pulp into my blender. You can use American persimmons, but it is a lot more work. The fruit is smaller than the Asian persimmons, so you will need more of them. Put clean, ripe fruit in something like a potato ricer, colander, tomato press or Foley mill and separate the pulp from the seeds and skin.)
• 2 cups chopped pecans or walnuts
• 2 cups raisins or diced dried fruit such as cranberries, dates, or apricots 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Butter 2 loaf pans. Line the bottoms with a piece of parchment paper or dust with flour and tap out any excess.

3. Sift the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl.

4. Make a well in the center, then stir in the butter, eggs, liquor, persimmon puree, then the nuts and raisins.

5. Bake one hour or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. 

Storage: Will keep for about a week at room temperature, if well-wrapped. May also be frozen.

My family likes this bread so much they start talking about it as soon as the fruit appears on the tree, way back in the summer, then they must wait months for the fruit to ripen. I think it is wonderful that the fruit is finally ripe just in time for Christmas baking!

You may also enjoy my other posts about persimmons:

Persimmons, the Fruit of the Gods

The Best of the Persimmon World

Digging a Hole

The Best of the Persimmon World

People are sometimes perplexed when they see the small tree in the lawn to the right as they enter our property. Last year a lady asked me if I had a pumpkin tree! Here it is:The photo on the top left was taken less than two weeks ago. Can you find the fruit amidst the colored leaves? I took the photo on the top right just this morning. All the autumn leaves have been carried away by the wind, and now you can see the fruit. I counted, and there are 13 of them.

This is a Tamopan persimmon tree, a type of Asian persimmon planted three years ago, quite by mistake. I bought the tree thinking it was the non astringent Fuyu persimmon, which can be eaten while still crisp, like an apple. When its first fruit appeared, and I saw the peculiar shape, I knew this was no Fuyu! Research revealed that I had an astringent Tamopan, which can only be eaten once it is softened, because it has serious pucker-power otherwise. I had fallen in love with the mellow taste of the Fuyu, and that is what I wanted. But I had to admit the Tamopan had character! The fruit looks like it is wearing a cap!

The fruit ripens after the leaves have fallen. I can imagine what an amazing sight my "pumpkin" tree will be after it matures. When the first harvest ripened, I discovered that the insides of the Tamopan could be scooped right out of the tough skin, which serves as an excellent bowl. The gelatinous, sweet interior has hints of cantalope. It is different from the Fuyu, but good in its own way.

Yet I had not forgotten my first love, and last year I planted a small Fuyu persimmon tree in a pot near our kitchen. It needs to be planted in the ground, but I haven't yet found the perfect place. (My friend Tamopan occupies the perfect place!) Right now it sits in what I call my herb bed, and I am beginning to think it may stay where it is. I like the look of it in the pot, so maybe I will buy an enormous pot and let it continue to grow that way. The decision has not been made. 

I am pleased with the little tree. Though its trunk is so spindly it can not hold itself up without stakes on each side, it produced a harvest this year: eight delicious Fuyus! Below are photos of the fruit. I love its beautiful interior.Lou and I have gobbled seven of them, and the last one sits in the refrigerator, becoming chilled and ready for prime tasting. After that last one is gone, it won't be long before the Tamopans are ripe. I think I have the best of all the persimmon world!

For more information about persimmons, read my previous post Persimmon: the Fruit of the Gods. You may also enjoy I Was a Fool For Fuyu, and Other Thoughts and Digging a Hole.