Persimmon Recipes

donna

Brev. Brig. Gen'l
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Now Florida but always a Kentuckian
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Three persimmons 2017 A
Fructibus [CC0], via Wikimedia Commons


It is close to Persimmon time. "The persimmon is a round-shaped fruit the size of a quarter. Some attain the size of a half dollar. Persimmons grow on trees as far north as Connecticut and southward into the Cotton Belt, and occasionally as far west as Kansas. They ripen in mid-autumn." They should never be picked but should be allowed to ripen and fall from the tree to the ground before being harvested. The pulp can be made into puddings, cakes, pies,, breads, candies, sauces, and many other dishes.

They were first found by pioneers who crossed the Appalachian Mountains into the fertile Ohio and Mississippi valleys. This was the native American persimmon. " From the Indians, the settlers learned to combine the sweet, spicy persimmon pulp with honey, cornmeal or other coarse stoneground meal to make simple puddings and breads."

Here is old recipe which been recreated for Persimmon Pudding with Burnt Sugar Syrup.

1 cup persimmon pulp
1 cup white sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 cup flour
1/2 cup sweet milk
1/2 cup sour milk
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter

Mix ingredients in order given. Pour into greased 8 x 8 inch baking pan or dish. Bake at 350 degrees for half an hour.

Burnt Sugar Syrup

1 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup hot water
1 tablespoon butter

While the persimmon pudding is baking, mix the syrup ingredients together in order given. Stir over low heat until sugar dissolves. When pudding is done, after 30 minutes, remove from oven and pour syrup mixture over pudding. Return pudding to oven and bake another 5 minutes.

Information from "Old Fashioned Persimmon Recipes", Bear Wallow Books, 1978.
 
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Here is Coffee substitute recipe using Persimmon seeds. It from "The Southern Banner" (Athens, Ga.), October 28, 1863. I am placing it here instead of under the Coffee thread as it requires Persimmons.

Sweet Potato and Persimmons

"But another important item is, to save the seeds of the persimmons after they have boiled, and you let out the slop, for they are excellent for coffee, rather stronger or rougher than the genuine Rio; hence, I mix two parts of dried sweet potatoes to one of persimmon seed. Dr. Buck says this coffee is equal to Java coffee! By boiling the seeds are rid of all mucilaginous* substances, and just right for coffee or buttons. If you use them for buttons, the washer woman will hardly break them with her battling stick. For coffee they should be parched twice as long as any other substitute, so as to make them tender to the center.

*The word musilage means a gummy secretion present in various parts of vegetable organisms.

This coffee doesn't sound very appealing but because they loved coffee, they would try anything.
 
Here is a Persimmon Cookie Recipe.

1 cup raisins
1 cup nuts
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup pulp
1 stick butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten

Chop nuts and raisins and mix with flour, salt and spices. Dissolve soda into pulp. Cream butter and sugar and beat in the egg, then pulp. Stir in flour mixture. Drop by spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet. Bake about 15 minutes in 350 degree iven.
 
Persimmon Fruit Jello Mold

1 6-ounce package lemon-flavored gelatin
1 envelope unflavored geletin
2 cups boiling water
1 6-ounce can frozen orange juice concentrate
1/4 cup lemom juice
1 cup ginger ale
2 cups persimmon pulp

Dissolve the gelatin in the boiling water. Stir in remaining ingredients in order given. Pour into jello mold or ring.
 
Persimmon Biscuits (delicious with ham and eggs)

1/2 cup persimmon pulp
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon mace
1/2 cup scalded milk
1/4 cake yeast dissolved in 1/4 cup lukewarm water
4 tablespoons butter
2 1/2 cups flour

Add pulp, sugar, salt, mace and butter to milk. Cool to lukewarm and add dissolved yeast cake, then add flour. Cover and put in warm place to rise overnight. Shape into biscuits and place on greased pan. Let rise again. Bake in 375 degrees oven until golden brown on top.

From: "Old-Fashioned Persimmon Recipes", Bear Wallow Books, 1978.
 
I picked up some persimmons at the grocery store yesterday. They are good eating. I just eat them raw like apples.
 
As Betty Fussell writes in her book, "Food in Good Season", there is nothing like a ripe persimmon.

"To eat a ripe persimmon by pealing the skin back from the top to reveal a globe of matte velvet is an experience no pleasure seeker should forego, but the season for ripeness is short."

Another great recipe for persimmons is the English method of turning the fruit purees into "fools". Sweetened with honey and folded into heavy cream, persimmon puree makes a splendid persimmon fool.

Persimmon Fool Recipe

2 cups persimmon pulp (3 to 4 persimmons)
2 tablespoons lime or lemon juice
2 tablespoons dark honey
1 tablespoon dark rum
1 cup heavy cream

Cut a cross in the top of the persimmon and peel skin down enough to scrape out pulp with a spoon. Remove seeds. Mash pulp in a blender or food processor. Add lime juice, honey, and rum and taste for sweetness. Whip cream until stiff and fold into persimmon mixture.

From: "Food in Good Season", Betty Fussell, Alfred A. Knoff, New York, 1988, pages 222, and 226.
 
We went to one of our favorite places yesterday, Brown County, Indiana and the little town of Nashville, Indiana. It was crowded with folks looking at the leaves and all the craft stores.

We had one of our favorite desserts, Persimmon Pudding. A ice cream shop in Nashville that has been there for generations, makes the best persimmon pudding.

So thought bring this thread on a fall favorite up again.
 
Here is Coffee substitute recipe using Persimmon seeds. It from "The Southern Banner" (Athens, Ga.), October 28, 1863. I am placing it here instead of under the Coffee thread as it requires Persimmons.

Sweet Potato and Persimmons

"But another important item is, to save the seeds of the persimmons after they have boiled, and you let out the slop, for they are excellent for coffee, rather stronger or rougher than the genuine Rio; hence, I mix two parts of dried sweet potatoes to one of persimmon seed. Dr. Buck says this coffee is equal to Java coffee! By boiling the seeds are rid of all mucilaginous* substances, and just right for coffee or buttons. If you use them for buttons, the washer woman will hardly break them with her battling stick. For coffee they should be parched twice as long as any other substitute, so as to make them tender to the center.

*The word musilage means a gummy secretion present in various parts of vegetable organisms.

This coffee doesn't sound very appealing but because they loved coffee, they would try anything.

“Dr. Buck says it is equal to Java coffee“.

There is so much more in this sentence than just a recommendation for the recipe of coffee substitute! I find it very touching how these brave people tried cope with things. Their world was going to pieces and they tried to enjoy “coffee“ like in the old times.
My Mom has my grandma's book of recipes from after WWII and whenever I see these recipes I can't help to get watery eyes! Same here.
 
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