Until moving to California, the only kind of persimmon I'd ever tried was the dried variety from bulk bins. Wouldn't you know it, now I have a whole tree of them growing in the front yard. What's a newbie West Coast gal to do?
My powers of persimmon identification aren't very field-tested, but I'm fairly certain these are Hachiya persimmons. They're more lantern-shaped than squat and are such a rich red-orange color that they practically glow. The first few fruits to become ripe have felt like water balloons in my hand.
Those were the fruits I ate whole, scooping out the jelly-like insides with a spoon. They tasted sweet and floral. I've been trying to think of another fruit or flavor to compare them to, but keep coming up blank. A bit apricot-like? Maybe some green grape flavor? No, nothing quite fits. They are indescribably persimmony.
The rest of the fruits on the tree are starting to ripen all at once. I'm expecting a deluge of squishy persimmons any day now and have been gathering recipes in anticipation. Here are the ones I'm planning to try first:
FROM THE KITCHN:
• Persimmon Tart
• Persimmon Tea Cake
• Persinnamon Crisps
FROM ELSEWHERE:
• Persimmon Cookies from Simply Recipes
• Persimmon Chai Tartes Tatin from Tartelette
• Persimmon and Honey Ice Cream from Serious Eats
• Chocolate Persimmon Muffins from David Lebovitz
• Chinese Five Spiced Pork Tenderloin with Triple Spiced Persimmon Chutney from Matt Armendariz via Spice Islands
What persimmon recipes do you love?
Related: Food Crush: Quince
(Images: Emma Christensen)
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Persimmon pudding: http://www.joythebaker.com/blog/2009/10/persimmon-pudding/
I grew up eating this just outside of San Francisco and had no idea Indiana had laid claim to its origins. It is delightful and great for fall; even if you live in a place that doesn't have a true fall.
At this point you can pick them and let them continue ripening inside, sitting stem-down, until fully ripe (jelly-like).
I've successfully frozen the pulp for easy use later if you're deluged.
There must be a difference in variety, but I remember [Indiana] persimmons being incredibly bitter until after the first frost, which I take it is rare in most of California.
Do any persimmon encyclopedias care to comment?
The persimmons I grew in Indiana looked different from the photo above - they were much smaller and definitely had to turn to mush before you could use them. They must be a different variety than the California type.
Someone once showed me a "farmer's-almanac-groundhog-like winter predictor" by cutting open a persimmon seed... forks, knives & spoons were the shapes. I can't remember which shape meant heavy snow (prob. the spoon), etc. Crazy, I know.
In Korea they freeze them and when allowed to thaw slightly they are just like a sorbet! Yum! and no prep involved!
@ keltrue
Those persimmons are native to the United States and are indeed a different variety from the persimmons shown which come originally from Asia.