Persimmons are one of the best things about fall. They are definitely on my list of favorite fruits, along with mangoes and papayas (hm, I just realized, they're all orange...). They are just so juicy, sweet, healthy, and fun to eat! Korea is actually the second highest producing country of persimmons, second to China, so I think I'm in the right country. :) Right now, they are in available in such abundance, I'm probably overdosing on these every day.
There are several ways in which I like to eat my persimmons (well, the soft ones, at least). Ofcourse, the most obvious way is to eat them just as they are- just pull off the top, split them in half, and scoop out the flesh with a spoon. I could easily eat three or even four in one sitting- no problem.
But let me tell you about my #1 fave way of eating persimmons. I love, love, LOVE eating them frozen . Not only is it completely refreshing and almost like eating ice cream, but I also end up eating it slower, which prevents me from scarfing several of them down in one go. This also means I can store and eat them even after persimmon season has passed... Ack, who am I kidding- there's no way they can last that long in my freezer.
I have a few tips on how to freeze and then eat the frozen persimmons, but this will only work with the soft mushy type of persimmons - not the firm, crunchy kind.
First, I take the tops (the flower bud part) off all the persimmons before they go into the freezer. This way, I don't have to struggle to pull them off later when the persimmons are frozen solid. Then I just arrange them in a plastic container and pop them in the freezer.
When I'm ready to eat it, I just take it out of the freezer and dunk it in a bowl of water. The water doesn't have to be hot- room temp is fine. Then, I gently rub the persimmon until the skin just peels off very easily (this literally only takes a few seconds). If the skin isn't coming off that easily, it's probably because the persimmon wasn't fully ripe to begin with.
After it's peeled, I take it out of the water bowl and put it on a plate. At this point, it's still pretty solid and frozen on the inside, so if you want, you can wait for it to defrost more, or you can just scrape what you can off with a spoon. However, my favorite method of eating frozen persimmons, is just to stab it with a fork, and eat it like an ice lolly!
I also like making persimmon smoothies! Just blend up a frozen persimmon, a frozen banana, and some soymilk, and you have a thick, delicious smoothie:
I also finally made my first attempt at baking persimmon muffins! I have yet to perfect this recipe, as there are a number of areas where it could improve, but for my first attempt, it was not bad at all. I shared it with my supervisors at work, and they enjoyed it. Here's my working-recipe for Persimmon Muffins. (Makes 5-6 muffins)
{ Ingredients }
1/5 cup soymilk
1tsp apple cider vinegar
1 cup APF
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tbs baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ginger
1/2 cup pureed soft persimmon pulp (I used frozen persimmons)
1/5 cup canola oil
Rolled oats to sprinkle on top (optional)
{ Method }
1. Mix the soymilk and vinegar and let sit to curdle for a few minutes
2. Sift and mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl
3. Mix the pureed persimmon pulp, canola oil, and soymilk/vinegar mixture together
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients.
5. Mix with a fork until everything is just combined- don't overmix.
6. Spoon batter into muffin pans and sprinkle with rolled oats, if using.
7. Place in a pre-heated 175C oven, and bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
8. Let cool for a bit, then eat up!
Some changes to make: Next time, I want to add more persimmon puree since it was a little dry on the inside, and it didn't taste as 'persimmony' as I was hoping. It could also use some nuts! I believe in the power of nuts to improve practically any muffin.
So, how are you guys eating your persimmons?
