Persimmon Pleasures – Part Two
November 26th, 2012
A few months ago I discovered that I could save the native persimmons from my backyard for puddings and bread. A few weeks ago I discovered another type of persimmon while walking my son’s and his fiance’s dog when I visited them in California.
I was walking around the block in an area of Silicon Valley full of apartment complexes, when I stopped in awe in front of a house with a yard full of persimmon trees. The heavy branches were bending to the earth. They were held up with sticks to keep them from breaking. The golden peach color of the persimmons was echoed in the golden leaves.
The house, front yard full of persimmon trees and a nearby small grove of nut trees are all that is left of the once acres and acres of fruit, nut and flower fields. Coming upon the persimmons was discovering an oasis in the midst of suburbia.
I walked down the driveway to see if I could take photos. Richard, whose father planted the persimmon trees, cut three of them for me. They are fuyu persimmons (diospyros kaki) , native to China, have been planted throughout Asia and now other parts of the world. The are firm and sweet. The ones growing in this yard were going to local markets and would never make it out of California.
The persimmons (diospyros virginiana) in my backyard are smaller and softer. Mine don’t have to be picked, they fall to the ground. I have to collect them quickly and freeze them to use later in pudding or bread.
My friend Christine sent me a recipe her husband has used for Persimmon Pudding Bars. I took the persimmons from my freezer that I had collected a few months ago. I made pulp and used it in the recipe.
The pudding bars were delicious and perfect for a Thanksgiving feast.
If you would like a copy of the recipe, please email me, and I’ll send a PDF. You can contact me at the top of the page. In the section “where to find me”, the fourth line down says “contact”. Click that, fill out the info and I’ll send the PDF. The pudding bars are delicious.
If you need persimmons, my persimmon tree provides more than I can keep. Contact me next August and you can come over to get some.
