Persimmons

[torakris]

My mother just ate a fuyu persimmon, skin and all!  I didn't think the skins were edible, but my only experience with persimmons has been in Japan (where most fruit are served peeled).

Generally speaking, do you eat your persimmons peeled or unpeeled?

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That is so interesting, my only experience ever eating persimmons has also been in Japan and since they are ALWAYS peeled here I assumed they needed to be peeled. I had never even thought of NOT peeling them. I am going to have to try this!

[MomOfLittleFoodies]

My mom always sent unpeeled fuyu persimmons off my grandfather's tree in our lunches. Nana always peeled them though.

I'll eat them either way, but I tend to peel them for my kids... the skins are pretty thick.

In the current edition of Cooking Light, there are some persimmon recipes. Typically when I've baked with the fuyu variety, I treat them like an apple.

[hummingbirdkiss]

years ago when I worked in a (very busy) Hilltop clinic in Tacoma (WA state) ...My boss (who is Japanese) .. saw me eating persimmon with the skin on...she frowned and said

" Oh Heidi you should never eat persimmon skin!!! Once upon a time..in Japan there was an old woman who ate persimmons every day and not much else ..she never peeled them and when she died they found her stomach full of a huge ball of persimmon skins" she showed me with her hands the (supposed) ball was the size of a soccer ball!!! "you better start peeling them" she said "or this will happen to you as well!"

please do not tell this sweet woman I am still not peeling persimmons ...I love living on the edge I guess

my son bought me what he said was "Korean Persimmon" tree for my birthday last spring .. ..there was no tag so I am not sure of the exact species ..I am so hoping to see fruits on it in my lifetime it looked pretty sad when I planted it poor thing was "rescue" from a going out of business nursery... he says he felt bad for it sitting there all alone...

so I have fed it nurtured it and will love it forever so hopefully it will thrive and do well for us

the color of this fruit is so amazing I think ..the texture and the flavor ...I still say the best way of enjoying in my opinion freshly washed!

the season has been good this year it seems ...Korean markets have been full of nice looking ones ..my husband (who is also lover of this fruit) purchased us a box from Costco for $6!!! and they were all lovely.. the two of us at the whole box in a few days!

I did not peel any of them ..wonderful if the skins are building up in my tummy!

I have also once in a while found a nice seed inside ..dried it stuck it in a pot of dirt (I have this compulsive need to plant all fruit seeds I find just to see if they will grow) and it did so I have as well a nice house plant out of the deal!

(OT date pits grow a lovely plant as well )

if you have not tried a dried persimmon and would like to with out actually doing the work ... the Korean stores around here are full of them for the holidays now ..they are packaged in a beautiful box really tasty

[pennylane]

years ago when I worked in a (very busy) Hilltop clinic in Tacoma (WA state) ...My boss (who is Japanese) .. saw  me eating  persimmon with the skin on...she frowned and said 

" Oh Heidi you should never eat persimmon skin!!! Once upon a time..in Japan  there was an old woman who ate persimmons every day and not much else ..she never peeled them and when she died they found her stomach  full of a huge ball of persimmon skins"  she showed me with her hands the (supposed) ball was the size of a soccer ball!!!  "you better start peeling them" she said "or this will happen to you as well!"

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Actually that is what's known as a "bezoar" and it's caused not by persimmon skin, but by unripe persimmon flesh (and seeds). I was going to post a link but decided against it because the last time I saw a picture of a this thing (right after eating an unripe persimmon), I didn't eat for two days!!

[Andrew Chalk]

Does anyone have any recipe recommendations that use Persimmons in savory cooking?

Many thanks.

[wallchef]

I remember being in either portugal or spain and eating a pork and persimmon skewer that had been grilled. The pork had a slightly spicy marinade and was really nice dish.

Not much of a recipe but depending how skilled you are, you could easily pull it off.

[Andrew Chalk]

I remember being in either portugal or spain and eating a pork and persimmon skewer that had been grilled. The pork had a slightly spicy marinade and was really nice dish.

Not much of a recipe but depending how skilled you are, you could easily pull it off.

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That is interesting. I wonder how they ensured the Persimmon was softened at the same time that the meat was cooked? Marination? In what?

[Andrew Chalk]

I remember being in either portugal or spain and eating a pork and persimmon skewer that had been grilled. The pork had a slightly spicy marinade and was really nice dish.

Not much of a recipe but depending how skilled you are, you could easily pull it off.

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I tried it tonight. Skewers with marinated pork and chunks of persimmon. Tasted great!

Thanks.

[junehl]

What did you marinate it in? And how did you insure that the persimmon was soft at the same time as the pork?

[Eden]

Last night I threw together a salad (from Bon Appetit) that was persimmon slices, prosciutto and pomegranate seeds on arugula with a pomegranate vinaigrette. It was very good as well as lovely.

[Batard]

Last night I threw together a salad (from Bon Appetit) that was persimmon slices, prosciutto and pomegranate seeds on arugula with a pomegranate vinaigrette.  It was very good as well as lovely.

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I followed a very similar recipe from Epicurious, and it really made lovely salad, with the slight bitterness of the arugula, balancing nicely with the proscuittto and persimmon, and a nutty crunch of pistachios. I can't seem to find the Pomegranate vinegar anywhere though. I made the vinaigrette with a very clean cider vinegar and some reduced pomegranate juice. It tasted good, but the color ended up a little too pink.

There are surprisingly few savory recipes using persimmons, I was not even able to fine one. All desert-type stuff. I can imagine it working well with pork though.

Edited December 18, 2007 by Batard (log)

[Andrew Chalk]

What did you marinate it in?  And how did you insure that the persimmon was soft at the same time as the pork?

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http://www.cooks.com/rec/doc/0,1627,147171-227197,00.html

Very much a guess from the huge no. of choices on the Internet, but it worked.

[Andrew Chalk]

...And how did you insure that the persimmon was soft at the same time as the pork?

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Good point. The persimmon was hard when I peeled it. I tested one kebab and, lo and behold, when the pork was ready the persimmon was soft enough to eat.

Beginner's luck?

[saltedgreens]

What type or persimmon. Fuyu? Try a simple saute with yellow onions and a touch of lemon juice with s/p and use as side for meat like seared pork (pork to have moderate fat content to balance sweetness).

Justthoughts.

[Eden]

I can't seem to find the Pomegranate vinegar anywhere though. I made the vinaigrette with a very clean cider vinegar and some reduced pomegranate juice. It tasted good, but the color ended up a little too pink.

I also faked it - by mixing pomegranate mollases with seasoned rice wine vinegar. Mine was not pink, but a dark burgundy, almost like a balsamic vinaigrette. The dressing got rave reviews, and my husband who is not a big fan of vinaigrettes usually, actually asked me to make the dressing again.

Saltedgreens, the sauteed persimmon sounds really good!

Edited December 20, 2007 by Eden (log)

[Richard Kilgore]

I have several what I am guessing are fuyu persimmons from a Korean maket. They are good eaten out of hand (tonight on a simple cheese and fruit plate). Any new suggestions, other than the above ones, for what to do with these or other persimmons?

[cyalexa]

There will be a bumper crop of wild persimmons on my property this year. I need to find someone that would like to use them. 

Edited September 26, 2014 by cyalexa (log)

[Maedl]

There will be a bumper crop of wild persimmons on my property this year. I need to find someone that would like to use them. 

I wonder how they would be in ice cream--a hickory nut or black walnut-persimmon ice cream.

[Smithy]

Persimmon ice cream with some nut additive sounds good. Earlier this year I spent time messing around with making persimmon puddings from fuyu and hachiya persimmons. What are wild persimmons like? Photos and descriptions would be welcome. :-)

[Maedl]

Here is a picture of the persimmon on the tree:

http://www.motherearthnews.com/homesteading-and-livestock/persimmons-zmaz70sozgoe.aspx#axzz3EQgHVp22

Sorry I don’t have my own picture, but that’s the way the persimmons look in the fall--the leaves are off the tree by the time they are edible. And you know that persimmons need a hard frost before they are edible.

 

What are they like? Well, the wild ones are much smaller than the cultivated varieties--they are the size of an apricot, maybe a bit larger. By the time they are ready to eat, the skin looks puckered. They have quite a few seeds, but a honey-sweet, soft flesh surrounds them. We most often ate them raw--and outside. That way you could pop the whole thing in your mouth and then see how far you could spit the seeds. There are numerous recipes for persimmon pudding--we made it perhaps once a year. I liked them better straight from the tree.

 

I seem to remember that the wood is quite hard (the American persimmon, Diospyros virginiana is related to ebony) and the wood is used for furniture and musical instruments.

 

[Smithy]

Thank you for that link, Maedl.  I didn't know anything about wild persimmons, and now I know a little.  

 

My mother used to make persimmon cookies around Christmas time, using the cultivated persimmons from our area.  I wonder how those cookies would turn out with wild persimmons?  

[cyalexa]

My mother used to make persimmon cookies around Christmas time, using the cultivated persimmons from our area.  I wonder how those cookies would turn out with wild persimmons?  

Smithy, I might give a cookie recipe a try, care to share? 

 

I wonder how they would be in ice cream--a hickory nut or black walnut-persimmon ice cream.

Hi Maedl, we "met" on CooksTalk (I was cindydvm).  I have not yet succumbed to the temptation of buying an ice cream-maker. 

 

 

Here is a picture of the persimmon on the tree:

http://www.motherearthnews.com/homesteading-and-livestock/persimmons-zmaz70sozgoe.aspx#axzz3EQgHVp22

 

Thanks for that great link.  I might try to dry some pulp. 

[Smithy]

Smithy, I might give a cookie recipe a try, care to share? 

I can't find it!  I'll check with the rest of the family. I hope it isn't lost forever.

While I was looking, I found my cousin's persimmon pudding recipe. Would that be of interest?

 

 I have not yet succumbed to the temptation of buying an ice cream-maker.

No ice cream maker needed to make semifreddo. You could try that route.

[cyalexa]

While I was looking, I found my cousin's persimmon pudding recipe. Would that be of interest?

 

No ice cream maker needed to make semifreddo. You could try that route.

If you think the pudding was good, and it's not too much trouble, I'll take the recipe, thanks.

 

Semifreddo is a good idea. I have never made it so this might be a good reason to give it a try.

[Smithy]

If you think the pudding was good, and it's not too much trouble, I'll take the recipe, thanks.

 

Semifreddo is a good idea. I have never made it so this might be a good reason to give it a try.

I don't remember the pudding one way or the other, but I found this card in Mom's recipe box while I was looking for the persimmon cookie recipe.  (I haven't given up looking for that recipe.  I *know* I had it last winter.)  This recipe is as written on the card.  Although I don't recall it, I do swear by Patti's cooking.

 

Persimmon Pudding, from my cousin Patti Smith  (makes 8 - 12 servings)

* Enough pulp from halved rip persimmons to make 2 cups (about 5 persimmons)

* 2 c. sugar

* 2 eggs, beaten

* 1-1/2 c. buttermilk

* 1 tsp. baking soda

* 1-1/2 c. flour

* 1 tsp. baking powder

* 1 tsp. cinnamon

* pinch salt

* 1/2 c. heavy cream

* 4 Tbsp. butter, melted

 

Set oven to 350F.

 

Mix pulp and sugar in large mixing bowl.  Beat in the eggs.  

Stir buttermilk and soda together, then add to the pulp mixture and mix well.

Sift flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt together.  

Gradually add to the pulp, and stir until combined.

Add heavy cream.  Mix.

 

Grease a 9x13" pan with some of the butter, then stir the remaining butter into the batter.

 

Bake until dark brown, and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted, about 1 hour.

Cool.

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I may have to try making this later this winter, when I can lay my hands on persimmons.