Persimmons

[Kikujiro]

I bought some of these in the market today. Never tried them before. I was considering attempting to bake them (a little vanilla, sugar, rum). Will this work or am I being a fool?

(edit: I meant never tried, not never seen)

[Suvir Saran]

Kaki is how I have seen Persimmons referred to in Morocco and also other Asian and Middle Eastern shops, chefs, books and recipes.

I have tasted amazing Persimmon Jam called Kaki Jam made in Lebanon. Most delicious.

In fact on Avenue U in Brooklyn, one can find 2-4 varieties of persimmon in the Asian groceries. They have them in all stages of ripeness and the more ripe they are, the better they are for making jam.

What you want to do sounds yummy... Maybe after I make some jam.. I shall try your recipe idea.... Do let us know how your experiment is...

[torakris]

WOW!!

I was planning on posting about kaki (persimmons) today.

Kaki is the Japanese word for persimmon, I never realized they used that word out of Japan as well. There are two main types hachiya (with a pointed bottom) and fuyu (with a flat bottom) as well as many others.

It is kaki season in Japan and everywhere you turn the trees are just dripping with them. Last week I recieved a bag of about 50 from my Father in law, and as every year they just sit there because I don't know what to do with them.

The Japanese just cut them up and eat them, when I asked some friends about what kinds of desserts they make with them they just stared at me and said they had never seen kaki made as a dessert.

I have a cookbook that was put out by a foreign wives group here in Japan and actually found some recipes using kaki, a couple of days ago I made a kaki sryup which was said to be good on pancakes and such. However it is more like a sugar sryup with a kaki twang, not bad but very sweet. So I brewed up some iced tea and added a nice sized dollop and found it to be really good. Unfortunately it isn't really ice tea weather.............

There are also recipes for baked persimmon indian pudding and persimmon crumble, so I assume they can be used similar to apples?

My husband is currently soaking the remaining ones in shochu, it is supposed to make them sweeter.

Anyone have any other ideas of what to do with them?

[torakris]

Here is a site I just found

http://www.theworldwidegourmet.com/fruits/...c/persimmon.htm

[FoodMan]

I guess I'm a little late to this one since two posters have already mentioned that kaki is adifferent name for Persimmon. In Lebanon that's one of two names used for Persimmons (the other one is "kharma", kinda hard to pronounce). However the kaki that I used to eat in Lebanon has to be very very ripe and the flesh is almost jelly like and very tasty, if the fruit is a little under ripe it feels like cotton in your mouth (a problem I've never encountered with the American variety which is ripe but not jelly like). As Suvir said Kaki jelly is fabulous.

[Suvir Saran]

I guess I'm a little late to this one since two posters have already mentioned that kaki is adifferent name for Persimmon. In Lebanon that's one of two names used for Persimmons (the other one is "kharma", kinda hard to pronounce). However the kaki that I used to eat in Lebanon has to be very very ripe and the flesh is almost jelly like and very tasty, if the fruit is a little under ripe it feels like cotton in your mouth (a problem I've never encountered with the American variety which is ripe but not jelly like). As Suvir said Kaki jelly is fabulous.

Correct... And yes the jelly is amazing.

I also make Kaki Pots de Creme as well.

And now, with my new found freedom, I will make Curry Powder Kaki Pots de Creme. Not!

[torakris]

I guess I'm a little late to this one since two posters have already mentioned that kaki is adifferent name for Persimmon. In Lebanon that's one of two names used for Persimmons (the other one is "kharma", kinda hard to pronounce). However the kaki that I used to eat in Lebanon has to be very very ripe and the flesh is almost jelly like and very tasty, if the fruit is a little under ripe it feels like cotton in your mouth (a problem I've never encountered with the American variety which is ripe but not jelly like). As Suvir said Kaki jelly is fabulous.

Kaki are actually divided into two types, astringent and non-astringent.

The astrigent types must be completely soft before they are eaten, Hachiya is one variety of this type.

The non-astringent are eaten while still on the hard side, fuyu (the most common type of kaki) is an example of this.

[Suvir Saran]

Kaki are actually divided into two types, astringent and non-astringent.

The astrigent types must be completely soft before they are eaten, Hachiya is one variety of this type.

The non-astringent are eaten while still on the hard side, fuyu (the most common type of kaki) is an example of this.

I have Fuyu, Hachiya and what the vendor sold as "sweet persimmon" at the kitchen table. The Hachiya are bursting with juice and soft.... and the fuyus are firm and the sweet is also firm.

[Suvir Saran]

My pudding is the quite similar. Much lighter on curry though, and more persimmon and I add eggs. I do the cream with garam masala and armagnac.

[FoodMan]

I guess I'm a little late to this one since two posters have already mentioned that kaki is adifferent name for Persimmon. In Lebanon that's one of two names used for Persimmons (the other one is "kharma", kinda hard to pronounce). However the kaki that I used to eat in Lebanon has to be very very ripe and the flesh is almost jelly like and very tasty, if the fruit is a little under ripe it feels like cotton in your mouth (a problem I've never encountered with the American variety which is ripe but not jelly like). As Suvir said Kaki jelly is fabulous.

Correct... And yes the jelly is amazing.

I also make Kaki Pots de Creme as well.

And now, with my new found freedom, I will make Curry Powder Kaki Pots de Creme. Not!

Suvir-

Kaki Pots du Creme??? Sounds very exotic. Do you mind sharing the recipe? Please post or email to me if possible.

and what's with the "new found freedom" comment?

FM

[Suvir Saran]

Nothing.. I am now getting inspired to use savory curry in desserts... Garlic, Dried Shrimp, Fenugreek and Asafetida are going to all become parts of my dessert ingredients......

Nothing is wrong... Nothing is bad.... I have realized the more wild my pairings of spices and foods is, the more I will be treated as a force to reckon with in this present... Maybe no one will remember me fondly in the future... But at least for now, they will celebrate me for my creativity. And for every 10 bad pairings... Certainly one could be somewhat successful and inspire a few others... And that is what life is all about on the edge... Pleasing even a few is more than enough.... And by the time they get the aftertaste of savory curry powder, my fame would be well established and I would have moved on to my next wild card... and next few moments in the limelight...

[Suvir Saran]

Foodman,

May I send you the recipe next week? I have always made it without a recipe... And I can get some more persimmons this weekend and prepare one early next week. Will test and write a recipe then. Is that ok? Or would that be too late?

[Sandra Levine]

I sometimes just put the very ripe hachiya persimmons in the freezer for a while. The turn themselves into sorbet. Cut them in half and eat with a spoon.

[Suvir Saran]

I sometimes just put the very ripe hachiya persimmons in the freezer for a while.  The turn themselves into sorbet.  Cut them in half and eat with a spoon.

I do that with bananas.... Never thought of doing it with persimmons.. Thanks!

[Suvir Saran]

Interesting site about Kaki and its healthful ways...

[Kikujiro]

I bought some of these in the market today. Never tried them before. I was considering attempting to bake them (a little vanilla, sugar, rum). Will this work or am I being a fool?

(edit: I meant never tried, not never seen)

I tried this this evening: lemon juice, rum, vanilla. The raw fruit were ridiculously sweet (can't say I liked the raw taste but there was nothing obviously bad about it) so I skipped the sugar. In the oven for 45 mins.

The result had an appealing aroma but the one mouthful I took exited in record time. Something about these fruit did not take well to being baked. It was like being attacked by some kind of angry furry thing. The effect is taking a few minutes to die down.

I'm going to have a yoghurt instead.

[Miss J]

Something about these fruit did not take well to being baked. It was like being attacked by some kind of angry furry thing.

Wow. Scratch that kaki fruit treatment off the roster, then.

[torakris]

I have been designated the lucky recipient of a bag of 37 kaki.

I was hoping the baking would work out because it seems to be the easiest. Guess I will have to give some of the other recipes a try.

[Suvir Saran]

I have been designated the lucky recipient of a bag of 37 kaki.

I was hoping the baking would work out because it seems to be the easiest. Guess I will have to give some of the other recipes a try.

Make Jam... It is the best thing to do with that many. Friends and family will share in your joy and thank you for a long time after. Canning is easy.. and it will extend the pleasure these 37 Kaki bring you. Think about this suggestion before you shy away... Worth the effort...

[torakris]

Searching for jam recipes, I found this site that has lots of kaki recipes:

http://www.epersimmons.com/recipes.htm

Are there any types of preserves, jams, etc that don't need sterilized containers? I quess that sort of defeats the purpose of preserving......?

I have no access to mason jars.

Looking at all of the jam recipes on the net I was surprised that although the ingredients were the same ( persimmons, sugar, lemon juice, pectin) the amounts were really different! any where from one cup of sugar to 6 cups, both for 3 cups of pureed flesh!

I think I am going to try the persimmon bread on the above site to start with.

[torakris]

Last night I made the persimmon bread from the above mentioned site, nothing to rave about but it was good. It didn't taste particularly kaki like, but what fruit/veggie breads really do?

I t was quick and easy and I will definitely be making it again.

My surprise was the curried persimmon soup, this combination of sweet and spicy in a savory soup took a little getting used to, but I really enjoyed it. It was more reminiscent of a dessert (think pumpkin pie) but with curry spices.

I am going to play with this recipe a little more, making both a soup that is not as sweet and a dessert using the curry powder but not as much.

[Comfort Me]

I was at a brunch yesterday and was struck mute by a spectacular, huge basket filled with persimmons! 20 pounds at least! I picked one up and was disappointed -- it was as firm as an apple. My host told me not to be mislead -- that they were a gift from a mutual friend whose mother apparently grows them in her persimmon and pomegranate orchard! He said they were a different variety from the soft-fleshed persimmons I was used to.

All I could think about was the one time I bit into an unripe persimmon! My mouth puckered so tight, you'd think I had been sucking on alum! But I bravely cut into one to taste and they were amazing! Think the texture of a firm apple and the taste of a persimmon, though sweeter...much sweeter. And the flavor was more complex, but less competative than other persimmons I have had. My tastebuds started singing!

My mind then began to go over the things I could make with them! Chutney for Thanksgiving! Preserves! Pavlova! Filling for a spice cake! Fried pies! I could dice it and include it in stuffing for a leg of lamb. Persimmon pancakes! Persimmon fritters!

Does anyone know how they cook up? Do they hold their shape? I must get my hands on enough to try a whole bunch of recipes. Hmmm. I think I have an idea for a article for next fall! I'd better send an e-mail to our mutual friend right now!

Edited November 17, 2003 by Comfort Me (log)

[bloviatrix]

David Lebovitz has a bunch of persimmon recipes in his book Room for Dessert.

[amccomb]

So, this week there were persimmons everywhere at the farmers market. They were those small mushy ones, not the large, shiny, firm ones. Anyway, I am trying to think of some things to do with them. I love persimmon pudding, but I want to try something new.

Could I make persimmon butter or chutney? Any desserts besides persimmon pudding? Ideas, suggestions, tips, and recipes are greatly appreciated!

[Carrot Top]

A simple persimmon upside-down cake is always nice....