Check out our abundant fuyu persimmon tree harvest this year!!

Persimmon jam

Makes 8 half pints

3 pounds ripe persimmons

7 cups sugar

Juice of 2 lemons

1 (6-ounce) bottle liquid pectin Wash, peel and seed the persimmons. Place the persimmon pulp in a preserving kettle, add sugar and lemon juice and mix well. Bring slowly to a boil over high heat until sugar has dissolved, stirring frequently. Boil hard for one minute; then remove the kettle from the heat and stir in the liquid pectin. Skim thoroughly with a metal spoon. Ladle into hot sterilized jars and seal.

Persimmon ice cream

Makes 6 servings

2 cups persimmon pulp from 4 to 6 ripe persimmons

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

¼ cup sugar, plus more if needed

2 cups heavy cream


Wash, peel and seed the persimmons. Puree them in a food processor or blender until smooth. Add the lemon juice and one-fourth cup of sugar. Process until well-blended.

Whip the cream to soft peaks. Gently fold it into the persimmon mixture. Taste and add more sugar, if needed. Freeze in an airtight container. Best if served within a day or two.

I recommend spreading this ice cream gently into a graham cracker crust. Top with additional whipping cream (Cool Whip works well) and slivered almonds. Let it set in the freezer for a few hours before serving.

Clemson persimmon pudding

Makes 8 servings

2 cups sifted flour

½ teaspoon soda

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon nutmeg

1 ½ cups sugar

2 cups persimmon pulp

1 ½ cups muscadine wine (or another sweet white wine)

3 eggs

¼ cup milk

3 tablespoons butter, melted


Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Sift the dry ingredients together. Mix the persimmon pulp, wine, eggs, milk and butter with the mixture. Pour into eight-inch-square buttered pan. Bake until browned, at least one hour.


Adapted from "Smokehouse Ham, Spoonbread, and Scuppernong Wine" by Joseph E. Dabney (Cumberland House, 1998)

Japanese persimmon salad

Serves any number



BOILED DRESSING

3 eggs

6 tablespoons cream

2 tablespoons melted butter

1/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon paprika

½ teaspoon mustard, optional

6 tablespoons lemon juice


Whisk the eggs, cream, butter, sugar, salt, paprika and mustard (if using) in the top half of a double boiler over simmering water until thick. Remove from the heat and slowly whisk in the lemon juice until emulsified. (This yields about 1 ¼ cups of dressing, which may be refrigerated for up to one week.)


TO COMPLETE THE SALAD

Sliced ripe persimmons

Orange sections

Grapefruit sections

Sliced avocado


Arrange the fruits in a decorative pattern on a serving platter or gently toss them together in a salad bowl. Serve with the boiled dressing.

Fuyu Bundt Cake

Grease and flour a bundt cake pan. Preheat oven to 350.
Blend 2 tsp. baking soda into 3 cups of chopped firm Fuyus. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat 1/2 cup soft butter with 1 2/3 cups sugar.
Add 2 eggs, 2 tsp. lemon juice, and 2 tsp. vanilla and beat until fluffy.
Stir in Fuyu mix.
Sift together 2 cups flour, 1 tsp. baking powder, 1 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. ground cloves, 1 tsp. cinnamon, and 1/2 tsp. nutmeg.
Stir flour into Fuyu mixture just until blended.
Add 1 cup chopped walnuts and 3/4 cup raisins.
Pour into prepared bundt pan. Bake at 350 for 55 - 60 minutes or until toothpick tests clean.
Cool in pan 15 minutes. Turn onto rack.