While everyone else is going crazy for everything pumpkin and spice, Robyn is looking for another orange fruit. Persimmons! She got her first basket of the season last week. There will be baking. She doesn’t recall her mother or grandmother using this fruit. Years ago after chatting with a farmer, she decided to try it. She was hooked on the flavor. The fruit is lovely to look at too, smooth skin, round, squat, and that gorgeous orange color.

Some interesting facts:

The genus name Diospyros means ‘ food of the gods ‘.

Persimmons are in the same family as the tree that gives us ebony wood.

Persimmons are native to China, Japan, and Korea.

In China, persimmons are given to newlyweds to celebrate eternal love.

Persimmon trees can grow to 70 feet and take 7 years to bear fruit.

During the Civil War, persimmon seeds were roasted, ground, and used as a substitute for coffee.

The tree is in the Persimmon Festival in Mitchell Indiana. This event has been going strong for 76 years.

There are 2 main types of persimmons available. The Fuyu is round and squat. It can be used in baking, eaten like an apple, or sliced and added to a salad. The Hachiyu is acorn-shaped. It has a pudding-like consistency when ripe. Just scoop it out with a spoon. Both types make a good jam. The farmer that Robyn spoke to said that he liked to put a ripe fruit in the freezer for a little while. Take it out and insert a straw. Smoothie! No muss no fuss. To hasten ripening for either, place in a bag with a banana or an apple.

Robyn says her favorite recipe so far is the Persimmon Bread with Bourbon with breakfast or afternoon tea it is a great choice.  When she starts to talk about persimmons, friends hope they will be on the receiving end of this delicious bread. 

Note: Robyn uses very ripe Fuyu persimmons in the bread. She adds no other fruit.

Persimmon Bread in decorative mold cake pan