Seasonal Treats – Persimmons!

Adelaide is rich in churches sure, but it is also rich in people with persimmon trees in their backyards. Completely absent from Melbourne’s fig and olive lined streets, Adelaide is awash in persimmons. More often than not these beautiful fruits are going to waste, so if you spy a neighbour with a laden tree, ask for a bushel or two.

We had pretty much written them off years ago as the store bought varieties are usually too ripe, underripe, bruised beyond recognition, and always overpriced. They’re not a fruit that ships well, so make use of our locality!

When they’re ripe they are jammy, perfumed and complex, when a little under-ripe they have a really enjoyable crisp sweetness and tannic notes.

Hachiya or Fuyu?

These are the two varieties we have spotted around town.

The Fuyu is the squat one and is a really great eating persimmon. When they’re ripe they are often described as ‘honey like’. They dry nicely in a dehydrator too. I suspect they would make a very nice country wine with a bit of water, sugar and yeast.

The Hachiya is a kind of conical obloid, and is so astringent when unripe that it is completely inedible, and when ripe is so soft that it is almost a pudding. They do have a secret use that the Fuyu is not quite as good for…

Hoshigaki!

Peeled, dipped in boiling water, hung up to dry and massaged regularly, Hachiya Persimmons transform into the best and most luxurious piece of dried fruit you have ever had. Like nature’s caramel but for sophisticated palates, Hoshigaki hang from the eaves of houses in Autumnal Japan, Korea and China, being tenderly cared for until their sugars are revealed coating the flesh in a protective layer.

We experimented with producing our own Adelaide Hills Hoshigaki last year to great success, and we will be producing another small batch this year, so get in touch if you’d like to pre-order! (or if you have hachiya persimmon trees)