Persimmons

Perfectly ripe Hachiya persimmon.

There are two kinds of persimmons, Hachiya and Fuyu.
And two kinds of people, those who like persimmons and those who can't stand them. Sometimes that can be one in the same person. My daughter used to love the soft, mushy Hachiya variety when she was little. We would give her one and have her eat it in the shower, that was the best way.Now she makes a face when I mention them. Then there is Bob, he loves the Hachiyas but is very cool to the Fuyus.
One thing most people can agree on, they look beautiful hanging in the trees when they are bright orange.
My dad had a Hachiya tree in his back yard, every fall we would help him pick the persimmons. The Hachiya are orange but still hard when picked, we would set them in trays or along the window sill to ripen. One of our cats was very fond of them, we found this out when we noticed strange punctures in the fruit ripening on the kitchen table.

It's not easy to see in the photo but here are the two kinds side by side. The Fuyus are on the right, they are very rounded at the bottom and are usually eaten while still hard. I prefer to let them soften a bit first, this gets rid of that astringent pucker that you get when eating an unripe persimmon of either variety.
The skin on these persimmons is very tough. I peel them before using them.

 I have also found they are delicious when paired with lime juice or a tangy fruit like kiwis.

They are great sliced thinly in a spinach or kale salad with toasted nuts and a light vinaigrette.

Hachiya persimmon must be completely ripe to be used in any way. We like to eat them straight up, add them to plain yogurt or bake them into cookies.

Here is a  cookie recipe I just modified. Bob likes these because they are not too sweet, very moist and full of flavor.

Persimmon Oatmeal Cookies
Preheat oven to 350 F

Ingredients:
1/2 cup soft butter
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 cup persimmon pulp
1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. of any or all of the following: ginger, cloves, cardamon

1 /12 cup oatmeal
1/4 cup almond meal(optional)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans.

Cream together 1/2 cup butter and 2/3 cup brown sugar.

Add 1 egg and 1 cup persimmon pulp, mix well.
In another bowl mix together: 1 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. cinnamon, 1/4 tsp other spices.
Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and combine.
Add 1 1/2 cup oatmeal, 1/4 cup almond meal, 1/2 chopped nuts.
Mix to combine.

Drop spoonfuls on a greased or parchment covered baking sheet.

Bake for 12 minutes.

Both kinds of persimmons can be dried. With the Hachiya variety we like to wait until they are very ripe, use a very sharp knife and only cut 2 to 3 slices. They will take a while to dry in the dehydrator and have a wonderful date like quality when done. In some cultures they dry Hachiya whole persimmons on strings in their kitchens. That doesn't work here in moist coastal California.
The Fuyus must be peeled first then sliced thinly, they dry more quickly, retain their orange color and are wonderful snacks as well.
Hachiya persimmon pulp can be frozen, in fact my mother used to freeze the persimmons whole and defrost them slightly to serve as a cold dessert confection. My dad loved them that way.