Preserving (and otherwise using) Fuyu persimmons -- suggestions please

Hi Erica! I was wondering what your suggestions might be for preserving Fuyu persimmons. My dad planted something like a dozen of these trees back when I was a kid, hoping I'd set up a roadside stand and sell them. (Which I never ended up doing, but heck, I probably should!) So we've always got TONS of them this time of year - way more than we could ever use! I've dried them, sliced, with great success, and have waited for them to get mushy like a Hachiya and frozen the pulp. Do you have other suggestions for using them up? Even a recipe beyond sliced-in-salad or baked-in-bread would be very appreciated. Thank you!

kaki concentrate is a great sweetener.

Emilie Thomas-Anderson wrote:Hi Erica! I was wondering what your suggestions might be for preserving Fuyu persimmons. My dad planted something like a dozen of these trees back when I was a kid, hoping I'd set up a roadside stand and sell them. (Which I never ended up doing, but heck, I probably should!) So we've always got TONS of them this time of year - way more than we could ever use! I've dried them, sliced, with great success, and have waited for them to get mushy like a Hachiya and frozen the pulp. Do you have other suggestions for using them up? Even a recipe beyond sliced-in-salad or baked-in-bread would be very appreciated. Thank you!

Ok, but can I start with my favorite simple winter sliced-in-salad type recipe first? If you eat meat, there is an air-dried cured beef called bresaola. What I love is to peel and slice your persimmon into wedges, and just kinda put these on a platter. And then drape very thin slices of the bresaola over the persimmon. Drizzle with a tiny bit of olive oil and salt and pepper and maybe a few drops of sherry vinegar, but not too much. It's like melon and prosciutto, for for winter. If you want it more "salad-y" bitter or peppery greens like frisee or arugula are an excellent addition.

So beyond that, you can use the fuyu types while still crisp in almost any baked application that you'd use apples, either solo or blended with apple. Think persimmon tarts, crisps, cobblers, strudels - that kind of thing.

Persimmon can be used in chutneys, or pickled as a sweet-sour condiment that is great with duck, chicken or pork. I haven't done it, but if you let the persimmon get really soft you should be able to make a nice spiced persimmon butter. Look into how much acid you'd need to add if you are interested in canning that, or just freeze.

Oooh, lots of good ideas there! Thanks Erica! (And yes, that salad does sound pretty amazing.) I never thought to pickle them, either - yum!

Tel Jetson - how does one make kaki concentrate? Juice the persimmon and boil it down, I'm guessing? Hmmm, seems like that might make a yummy syrup! The Fuyus would have to really ripen quite a bit first, though, I'm assuming.

Emilie Thomas-Anderson wrote:Tel Jetson - how does one make kaki concentrate? Juice the persimmon and boil it down, I'm guessing? Hmmm, seems like that might make a yummy syrup! The Fuyus would have to really ripen quite a bit first, though, I'm assuming.

never made it myself, but I had some in Japan and it was lovely. stewing and reducing persimmons seems like a good place to start.

Persimmon cookies are amazing and can be frozen

We slice them and dry them by the dozens, then eat them just like that or put them into oatmeal, pancakes, whatever.