I found the persimmon tree last year because of a deal: If I revealed the location of the fruiting Dogwood grove on the Johns Hopkins Homewood campus (see previous post on Cornelian cherries), my colleague would reveal the location of the persimmon tree. (We foragers have to fight the urge to be a bit territorial!)

Turns out it was right in front of me, on a path I regularly trod: on the west side of Charles Street near the first set of steps, just south of the tennis courts.

How could I have missed it? Once I finally noticed its fruit-filled branches, I started harvesting. First I went for the ones on the ground, because in the cooler fall weather they are often firm enough not to crack upon impact. If you can go even lower than the proverbial low-hanging fruit, why not?

Then, over Thanksgiving break of that year, I went out with my parents to shake the tree — a man-made windfall!

We first laid out an old bed sheet and a large tarp on the downward sloping hill. A long pole did the trick without damaging any branches. We had quite a time, though, trying not to slip on the already-rotted persimmons embedded in the grass as we chased persimmons rolling off the sheet and down the hill.

Obviously, you want to collect persimmons that are somewhere in between the hard, chalky, astringent ones still firmly attached to the tree and those disintegrating under foot.

“Fruit of the Gods”

If you are already familiar with the Asian species of persimmon, called Diospyrus, literally the “Wheat (or Fruit) of the Gods,” you may well find the American species Diospyros virginiana that grows in the northeastern U.S. strange. It shares the same color, astringency and flavor of Asian persimmons, but is markedly smaller (about 1 inch in diameter).

It resembles an apricot, is rounder, tough -skinned, and ranges from light yellow to pale orange when ripe. Although both are in the Ebony genus (Ebenacea genus) and renowned for their beautiful wood, their fruit is just as treasured.

A Tennessee persimmon tree sustained starving Confederate soldiers, according to what the son of one soldier told an interviewer from the Federal Writer’s Project.

“Over in a valley stood a tree which seemed to be loaded with fruit. It was a frost-bitten persimmon tree, but as I look back over my whole life, never have I tasted any food which would compare with these persimmons,” John T. Cox said, quoting his father Milton B. Cox.

There are some other American Persimmon trees in Baltimore, we’re told by Anne Draddy,  the city’s  TreeBaltimore Coordinator. They can be found, intermixed with Black Gum trees,  in the grove behind the George Washington statue in Druid Hill Park.

The Asian varieties grow to the size of an apple (about 2 inches in diameter.) Some are pumpkin-like in shape – flatter on the top and bottom. Others are cone-shaped and oblong like the Japanese Fuyu variety, which is not only firm when ripe (like an apple), but represents one of the non-astringent types of persimmons.

Whereas the Asian varieties tend to have little to no obvious seeds, the American variety sometimes has more seed than fruit. Both are characterized by the hard woody calyx that connects the fruit to the tree branch. At first hard to remove, as the fruit ripens, it becomes easier to separate. Often it is missing altogether on the fallen fruit.

International and domestic uses

In Asia, persimmons are often dried or eaten raw when matured, which reduces the bitterness and astringency from the high tannin content. A common American way to use them, however, is as a pulp in cookies, bars, jams, and, most deliciously, as a pudding.

I have tried all of these recipes: cookies are best with some raisins and nuts, the bars risk blackening or becoming too dry, the freezer jam is excellent with goat cheese and ginger oat crackers, and the pudding is a filling harvest-time dessert.

Because the tree is so prolific and the harvest season so long, I experimented with several recipes to process the entire product including freezer jam, cookies, and puddings.

Processing American persimmons is more labor intensive since the fruit is smaller and much of it lost in the effort to take off the calyx on the top, the tiny woody knob at the bottom, and any hardened seeds within.

Once these are cleaned out and the fruit rinsed in a sieve, place in a pot on the stove, add a bit of water and lemon (to prevent discoloration), and bring to a boil for a few minutes. Avoid scalding or burning the pulp. This pulp can then be used in many recipes available online.

Recipes

Persimmon Freezer Jam

5 cups pureed persimmons

3 cups white sugar

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest

1 pinch ground nutmeg

In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, combine persimmon puree, sugar, lemon juice, orange zest and nutmeg. Boil for 30 minutes, or until slightly thickened. You can add a package of Sure-jell Pectin to make it even thicker. Pour into sterilized jars and seal. Storing in the freezer allows it to keep longer.

1. Heated persimmon puree, sugar, lemon, orange peel, nutmeg mix

2. Sterilization process for jars, allow the water to boil at least 5 mins.

3. The jar lids also need to be sterilized. Although jars and rims can be reused, the inner lids with the rubber lining cannot and must be new each time you can.

4. Fill the just sterilized and still hot jars with filling just a ¼ inch below the top

5. After filling the jars, wipe the rims thoroughly with a damp paper towel before putting on the lids.

6. Fit the inner lid securely on the cleaned rim and tightly turn the outer metal ring.

7. Place standing up in boiling water. This rubber-coated tool really helps.
8. Voila, the finished product. Now you just need to let cool and label.

A friend of my family, Karen Dunlop, offered the following two recipes on baked and steamed persimmon pudding. She has several American persimmon trees at her cabin nestled in the hillside overlooking the Shenandoah River and the Massanutten mountain range. She makes the steamed version every year for Christmas. Her husband John chimed in that one must eat it hot with ice cream and orange sauce on the side. Karen kindly provided her orange sauce recipe as well.

Baked Persimmon Pudding

2 eggs
1 ½ C. persimmon pulp
1 ½ C. flour
2 C. sugar
1 qt. milk
1 lg. can Carnation Evaporated Milk
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt

Mix ingredients in a very large pot. Bake at 350° for 2 – 4 hours, stirring down from the outer rim inward every ½ hr. until right consistency (thick and pudding-like).

Steamed Persimmon Nut Pudding
Serves 8
½ c soft butter
¾ c packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 c flour
1 ¾ tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ginger
½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
½ c milk
1 c fresh persimmon puree
¾ c (3 oz) finely chopped walnuts
2 tbs grated orange peel

Butter 1 qt. mold with a tight cover. Butter inside of lid.

Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Blend in egg. Sift in flour, soda, ginger and nutmeg alternately with milk, blending well after each addition.

Mix in persimmon puree, nuts and orange peel.

Pour into prepared mold.

Set on rack in deep large saucepan.

Fill pan with warm water 2/3 up sides of mold.

Cover and steam 2 hours over medium heat. Add water as necessary.

Bake @ 350° 2 – 3 minutes to dry the top. Cool 10 minutes and unmold.

Orange Sauce
Makes 1 ½ cups
¼ c soft butter
¾ c sugar
1/3 c fresh orange juice
4 tbs water
1 tbs grated orange peel
1 egg

Cream butter with sugar in medium saucepan. Blend in orange juice, 3 of the 4 tbs. water and orange peel. Stir over low heat until smooth and creamy, about 5 minutes. Beat egg with the remaining 1 tbs water in a small bowl until well blended. Add to mixture and stir until sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon, about 15 minutes. Serve warm.

Epilogue

My colleague finally gave up the location of the Homewood persimmon but he is so far refusing to reveal the location of the one Quince tree on campus. It must not be as productive, or perhaps he just values its product more and does not wish to have any more competition. He told me of another mystery forager who has managed to pluck its ripe fruit before him. He certainly can keep a secret. Let me know if any of you discover it — or quinces anywhere else around town.