Persimmons & Persimmon Recipes
The thing about persimmons is that, until they are completely ripe, they are so astringent that they are inedible.
Astringency is the dry, puckering mouthfeel caused by tannins found in many fruits such as blackthorn, chokecherry, bird cherry, quince and persimmon fruits, and banana skins. The astringency of tannins is removed by the ripening process, either naturally by exposure to sunlight, or various artificial means such as wrapping in paper, drying, or chemically. Once ripe, the flesh is very sweet and when firm possesses an apple-like crunch. Ripe, in this case is a bit beyond what we might consider ripe for other fruits. The truly ripe persimmon is very soft and has the consistency of a bag of jelly. There are three main kinds of persimmons, two Japanese and one American. American persimmons and one type of Japanese persimmons are completely inedible until they are fully ripe. The remaining kind of Japanese persimmon loses its astringency sooner and becomes edible while the flesh is still slightly firm.
The only American source of persimmon pulp that I know of is "Dymple's Delight" in Mitchell, Indiana, the first link below. I do not know if they are still in operation, and the last I knew of it, you had to go there to get your pulp.
Persimmon recipes:
- Dymple's Delight Persimmon Pulp & Persimmon Products
- persimmon beer
- persimmon bread
- persimmon butter
- persimmon cake
- Lucille Ball's Persimmon Cake
- persimmon cookies
- persimmon jam
- persimmon jam, jelly, marmalade, preserves
- persimmon pudding
- poached persimmons, cookies, bread, pudding, pie
- persimmon pie, poached persimmons, cookies, bread, pudding
- predicting the weather with persimmons
- pumpkin persimmon pie
- persimmon wine
- persimmon wine
