A Persimmon How-To Guide
HOW-TO: Shop for Persimmon
Persimmons are typically in season beginning in late September until late December. You can find persimmons at your local farmers’ market or (https://www.ams.usda.gov/local-food-directories/farmersmarkets)at a local Asian grocery store.
When buying persimmons, here are some things to look out for:
-If the persimmons are astringent (I.e. Hachiya), look out for a tenderness in the fruit, as hard astringent persimmons are often bitter
-If the persimmon type is non-astringent (I.e. Fuyu), look out for a crisp texture as they are meant to have a crunch similar to an apple
-For both types, look for bright orange skins that are not green and free from blemishes.
HOW-TO: Store Persimmon
If you have the chance to pick persimmons up this fall, persimmons are best stored at room temperature, but a tip to help persimmons ripen more quickly is to store them in brown paper bags for a few days.
HOW-TO: Wash and Prep Persimmon
You’ve just walked out the farmers market with a bag of orange persimmons. Here’s how to wash and prep ‘em!
There are two ways to prepare astringent persimmons and one way to prep non-astringent persimmons. The first method is a more formal way to do so and the second one is a fun way to eat persimmons!
Wash and Prep for Astringent Persimmons
To start off, you want to take the stem off of the top of the persimmon.
From there, for astringent persimmons, you are going to cut the fruit in half and make a triangle-cut at the top of the fruit.
Then, you can section off the fruit further depending on your preference and run your knife between the skin and the flesh of the fruit.
The second, more informal way, of eating the astringent persimmons is just taking the stem off of the persimmon, slicing the persimmon in half, and just scooping the flesh out of the skin.
Wash and Prep for Non-Astringent Persimmons
To start off, you want to take the stem off of the top of the persimmon.
For non-astringent persimmons, you first want to peel the skin and want to hold the persimmon and cut through the left and right sides of the fruit.
Then, holding the persimmon on both sides you want to make two more cuts to form a “grid” and are left with nine pieces of persimmon. Then, discard the core of the persimmon.
HOW-TO: Make Persimmon Pulp
A common way of also preparing persimmons is also making persimmon pulp. You first want to wash a few persimmons and take out the stem of the persimmons. Then, you want to quarter the persimmons, and place it into a slow cooker with a few cups of water, which is adjust depending on how many persimmons you use, but you don’t want the water to reach the top of the persimmons. Then you want to cook the persimmons between 4 to 6 hours, and you know it is done if you can use a spatula and are able to squish the persimmon against the wall of the pot. From there, you want to drain most of the water from the pot, but reserve ¼ cup of water. Then you can use a potato masher to mash the persimmons, and incorporate enough water so it reaches an apple sauce consistency.
HOW-TO: Roast Persimmons
Another common way of preparing persimmons is roasting persimmons. To start off, you want to preheat your oven to 400 F. Then, you want to slice thinly a few non-astringent persimmons, such as Fuyu, and season them to your liking, and in the recipe linked, there is a savory and sweet alternative. Bake the sliced persimmons for 5-8 minutes until the surface of the persimmons turn light brown.
HOW-TO: Make Dried Persimmons
One of the other ways to enjoy persimmons is drying persimmons, and in Japan, this results in Hoshigaki, which just translates to Japanese Dried Persimmons. Hoshigaki is traditionally made with hachiya persimmons. The first step is to peel the fruit, but you want to leave the stem on the fruit. The stem is then used to hang the fruit with string, in an area that is ideally exposed to sunlight but also humid. After the first week, you want to gently massage the fruit, and you want to continue this process for around a month, and possibly longer depending on whether the sugar blooms or not. Sugar blooming,which is when there is a white, sugary coating on the excess of the dried fruit, is a sign that it’s ready to eat, but if it is not blooming after six weeks, you may want to store the fruit in a humid environment, such as a ziploc bag, for a couple of days.
HOW-TO: Cook Persimmons
Salad - by Preppy Kitchen
https://preppykitchen.com/persimmon-salad/
Risotto - by Juls’ Kitchen
https://en.julskitchen.com/seasonal/winter/recipes-with-persimmons
Pork Roast - by Martha Stewart
https://www.marthastewart.com/925877/pork-persimmons-and-mustard-greens
Jam - by Masala Herb
https://www.masalaherb.com/persimmon-jam-recipe-without-pectin/
Pie - by keyingredient
https://www.keyingredient.com/recipes/8474004/fuyu-persimmon-pie/
Cookies - by Simply Recipes
https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/persimmon_cookies/
HOW-TO: Regrow Persimmons
Though persimmons have a lower germination probability, they are possible to regrow! Using ripe persimmon seeds is the most ideal for regrowing. After you’ve eaten your delicious persimmon, you want to wash the seeds and put in a damp paper towel and put it in a plastic bag and set it aside in the refrigerator for a few months. Then, once you feel ready to use the persimmon seeds, you want to use a tall plastic pot that has holes for water to drain at the bottom. Then you want to create a wet soil mixture, and place the seeds at around a depth of 2 inches. Store the plant in an area that is not overly exposed to sunlight, and water the plant on a weekly basis.
HOW-TO: Share Your Love for Persimmons
You are now well acquainted with Persimmon and the yummy ways to eat it! Take pictures of the masterpieces you make with Persimmon, or if you spot Persimmon when you go eat out! Do you ever see Persimmon in your local Farmer’s Market? We’d love to see how you are using or where you find Persimmon!
In the meantime, download these adorable Food Roots Persimmon wallpapers today. They’ll remind you to munch on Persimmon before the winter season is over!
