Persimmons!

[KayLR]

There is a homeowner in our neighborhood whom I'm fixin' to approach about gleaning his or her persimmon tree. It is just loaded and they are now falling from the tree. No one seems interested in them---I've asked the folks in our small network on nextdoor.com whether they know the people or not--no response.

My question---have any of you used persimmons, and if so, what did you do with them? I'm looking into some type of spread or chutney or some such type of recipe.

[Tussiemussies]

I just wait until they are really ripe, spoon them out of the skin and eat them raw. They are supposed to be very good for the gut...

I bet they would make great smoothies and ice cream. I thought they would pair well with mango!

You most definitely have to eat them very ripe or you will feel like your mouth is stuck to itself! LOL!

[awakenedsoul]

I have a Hachiya persimmon tree. I just finished up the last of my crop. Like Tussiemussie, I eat them raw. They are loaded with potassium...great for aches and pains. You can also google persimmon cookies, cake, etc...I have a recipe for persimmon freezer jam, but I haven't tried it yet. I love them! I hope you get some...

[Dhiana]

Which kind of persimmon tree is it?
Fuyu type are the shape of a tomato, flat on the bottom and are sweet like a peach.
The hachiya type have a pointed bottom and definitely not as sweet.

My experience is with the Fuyu kind which I most often eat just like a tomato or apple, skin and all but the stem area which I cut out like a tomato. Some have seeds, some don't. The seeds are big and are super easy to separate from the flesh.

They can be made into a cobbler which is spiced with cinnamon and cloves, but little sugar.

My favorite recipe is a Ginger Persimmon Glaze which I've used over fish:
All measurements are approx.
2 Fuyu Persimmons - peel & cut into small squares
3T Maple Syrup/Honey/sugar of choice
3T Soy Sauce
1t Fresh Ginger
2t Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Basil

Place all ingredients in a small pan along with big pieces of Red Pepper and cook it all together for a few minutes,
just to get the cooking started and mix the flavors together.
Pour it all over the fish(or chicken) and bake it together in a covered dish.

Let us know how it goes with your neighbor! Hopefully they are willing to share but offering a reasonable amount of cash and/or finished persimmon food should help you gain access to it :)

[Jilly]

How about persimmon muffins? This would give you the opportunity to use lots of the fruit, and freeze the muffins, as well.

And, I think you can freeze them whole or in purée form.

[Amaranth]

Persimmon Bread
Persimmon Pudding
Roasted or broiled slices or chunks
Grilled slices (use a grilling pan with smaller holes to keep the slices from falling through)
Persimmon Pancakes
Persimmon Smoothies, Banana-Persimmon Smoothies
Persimmon Butter (like apple butter)
Persimmon Salad with mesclun greens and nuts such as walnuts or almonds
--If you have the sweeter Fuyu persimmon, goat cheese or a smoked cheese in the salad is good. If you have the tangier Hachiya, a sweeter cheese is better
Persimmon frozen in ice cube trays or small muffin tins for future use

Have also thought the following might be fun to experiment with:
Persimmon soup along the lines of a butternut squash type soup
Cold persimmon soup for the summer with greek yogurt, cream, or almond milk; cinnamon and other apple pie oriented spices
Indonesian style persimmon-peanut butter sauce
Persimmon icecream
Persimmon vinagrette
Persimmon curry or Persimmon-spinach curry
Persimmon toku (an Indian hot pickle)--I'd probably use a mango pickle recipe as a starting point

Dhiana, that Ginger Persimmon Glaze looks delicious. What kinds of fish is it especially good with?

[Dhiana]

Amaranth-So far I've only used it on the fish a family friend catches nearby us. He said it's mahi mahi.

That's an amazing list of persimmon ideas! Looking forward to trying some out.

[KayLR]

Well, we went and picked up a couple bags of them, and I shared half with my cousin. Yesterday I made slow-cooker persimmon butter with it and got 4 pt. It really is yummy! Only added 1/4 c. sugar and a tsp. cinnamon. It smelled like pumpkin or apple throughout the house, and kind of tasted like it too. A little tart, but not too much.