A friend ? just gave me a bushel of Japanese persimmons. They are about 4 inches in diameter( each ) How do you cook or use these things ? I am acquanited with wild persimmons, but not these big things HELP !! Big George From LA.

-- George Wilson (cwwhtw@aol.com), November 03, 2001

Answers

Response to Japanese persimmons

They're great in muffins. I like them raw if they are well ripe-- should be kinda soft.

-- mary (marylgarcia@aol.com), November 03, 2001.

Response to Japanese persimmons

Agree with Mary about raw. They will be VERY mouth-puckeringly bitter until they're dead ripe - you would think over-ripe. Very soft, and parts of the skin may even darken towards black (latter is not necessary, just not a reason to abandon them if it happens). Skins will stay whole though. Have them in separate layers to ripen - they will get so soft that the weight of one above could split a lower one. In any case, you will want to inspect them at least daily to catch them when they're ripe enough - if you don't someone else will, and that is a loss not to be borne. At this stage the flesh has a consistency almost like soft ice-cream that hasn't been over-frozen. I just wash them and then eat them whole (except the stalk) at this stage - the skin adds a little texture contrast - is just a little crunchy - like an eat-all dessert in a hand-sized package. If it's still too bitter, you didn't leave it to ripen long enough - have courage. Greatest treat of the fruit year. Delicious.

-- Don Armstrong (darmst@yahoo.com.au), November 03, 2001.

You can use the flesh in baking recipes calling for bananas, pumpkins, or squash. Use a little less fruit than the recipes call for since the persimmon is a little more liquid. Tasty persimmon bread, i need to check the ones on the trees now! To instantly take the pucker out, skin them & freeze them! Btw there are a few kinds that are ripe when hard, nice crispy -spicy fruit. The flesh cooked or fresh, also makes a great sauce over ice cream or pound cake.

-- bj pepper in C. MS. (pepper.pepper@excite.com), November 04, 2001.

I have always been told that the Japanese varieties don't have the 'pucker' factor that the American varieties do. It would be nice to know if this is true.

A friend of mine used to make persimmon cake out of them, much like a carrot cake recipe, but substituting persimmon pulp for the carrots. It was delicious.

I have also frozen whole ripe ones and kept them well into winter to extend the season and that worked just fine. I simply put them into plastic bags and set them on a shelf in the freezer until they were frozen, then packed them all into a box together. Thaw and use all winter long.

-- julie f. (rumplefrogskin@excite.com), November 05, 2001.

"Pucker-factor". Yes, there are new varieties which are supposed to be edible although not dead-ripe. I've tried a couple of them. Someday they'll get it right. My opinion is that at the moment they've got it to the stage where a firm persimmon is no longer quite inedible - but nearly.

-- Don Armstrong (darmst@yahoo.com.au), November 05, 2001.

Living in Japan, I can finally answer a questions! Eat them raw once they are very soft. They grow all over Tokyo and are just starting to come into season.

Michael

-- Michael K (michael@notrealaddy.com), November 07, 2001.

Ohyo mikku-san! i hope you are going to 'junk' stores & re-selling on ebay for lotsa $$$ Well what are the hard & ripe persimmons called? Smaller, shaped like the chinese kinds, acorn-ish shaped fruit. domo-arigato- goshiamastsu!

-- bj pepper in C. MS. (pepper.pepper@excite.com), November 08, 2001.