Gems |
Hachiya on the Left, Fuyu on the Right |
How to describe a persimmon? They look a lot like an orange tomato; the two common persimmons we get in the US are Fuyu and Hachiya. Fuyu are squatty like a tiny pumpkin, and Hachiya are acorn-shaped and larger than the Fuyu.
Persimmons are also used to make salsas, chutneys, pudding, pies, and many other goodies. I will definitely be inventing some new treats as well as trying tried and true recipes.
Persimmon sliced in half |
Spiced Persimmon Jam
3 lbs. Persimmons (I used both Fuyu and Hachiya - rec'd some in my CSA box and bought the rest)
1/4 c. Freshly-Squeezed Lemon Juice
3/4 c. Water
1-1/3 c. White Cane Sugar
1 TBSP + 1 tsp. Powdered Pectin
1/2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
Pinch of Ground Cinnamon
Pinch of Ground Cloves
Cut out the calyx of each persimmon (the flowery-stem thing ;-) ) and chop in 1/2-inch cubes. Some of my persimmons had seeds, some didn't. Cut them out if yours have seeds. You can leave the skin on. Add water, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and persimmons to a wide-bottomed pan. Bring to a boil, add pectin. Stir in cinnamon and cloves. I noticed that as I cooked the persimmons, a creamy substance was cooked out. This results in an opaque, creamy jam, as opposed to the bright translucent jams and jellies you may be accustomed to. Stir thoroughly for a few minutes until your mixture is at a roiling boil. Add sugar while stirring. Dissolve sugar, boil for 2 more minutes. Remove from heat, ladle into sterilized jars. Boil in water bath for 10 minutes. This made six 8-oz. jars. :) xo, AB
Great article and recipe. Can't wait to try it and share your link on pinterest for my fellow Bountiful Baskets recipients who got some in out basket this week! Thanks for sharing~
ReplyDeleteThank you, let me know what you think! It's really chunky, which I love. Thank you for reading.
ReplyDeleteI made some persimmon jam, but it din't have spices. I may try this. It sounds great.
ReplyDeletePlease respond asap: Did you do this in a copper jamming kettle? That is what I am hoping you are going to say. Blue Chair has no recipes for the persimmon at all. Maybe you can drop me a line as your email address at the blog site will not show up for me on my Imac.
ReplyDeleteThank you. macpro@ca.rr.com
I made this last night with overly ripe Hachiya persimmons (gooey) and the jam was astringent and grainy. The raw pulp was very tasty, but not the jam (and I have quite a bit of experience making jam). Then I found this on Mother Earth News:
ReplyDeleteLooking at this fragrant orange pulp, the innocent homemaker will immediately think: "Oh, I can just add sugar and a little lemon and cook up a batch of delicious jam for the winter."
Alas, it cannot be. Even the gentlest cooking of persimmon pulp seems to bring back the astringency and makes it inedible.
Perhaps you used mostly Fuju persimmons in your jam?