Persimmon Butter: Make this spread when you want your house to smell like Christmas!

Fruit Butters make great gifts, and make your house smell like Christmas while you cook them!

If you have not had fruit butter, you are missing out. A fruit butter is a sweet confection made of fruit that has been cooked for a long time into a paste, and is sometimes sweetened with sugar, honey or maple syrup. A fruit butter falls into the same category as jelly and jam, but is texturally different. Apple butter and plum butter are common examples and so is cranberry sauce.

It’s not for nothing that persimmons are used as a decorative motif the world over. The color and design of the fruit lend itself to decor which have made the fruit recognizable to anyone, even if they have not eaten the fruit. When I am gifted with a large bag of persimmons, I invariably fill a large decorative bowl with them and display them for visitors to see. The lovely color that persimmons have seems to glow with an inner light. They are truly a uniquely beautiful fruit. I will fill a ceramic bowl with Granny Smith apples and persimmons and revel in the color contrast.

Persimmon is a wonderful fruit that is native to Asia and is now grown all over the world. The American persimmon also is known as the common persimmon and is grown in southeastern states. The two most common varieties of persimmon found in the grocery store are the Fuyu and Hachiya. Before you buy a persimmon, it’s important to know which type you’re considering, because that will affect how and when to prepare it. Fuyu is the squat persimmon with a rounded bottom and can be eaten when either firm or soft. To choose a fuyu, look for one with taut skin free of damage or rot. When the fruit is firm cut away the leaves, and then peel, slice and eat. The fruit should be crunchy and sweet in texture. The Fuyu is best used uncooked, or in salads. The ripe Fuyu should be of the same texture as a tomato.

The Hachiya persimmon has a heart-like shape and is longer than the Fuyu. The Hachiya, unlike the Fuyu, should only be eaten when very ripe. The unripe Hachiya is impossible to eat and should be avoided. The Hachiya can be ripened far past the point that other fruits are usable and when it’s this soft it is ready to be used. When ripe the Hachiya can be eaten as is or used in baking.

I like this apple persimmon butter on toast, biscuits or waffles. It’s great over ice cream or as the filling in a spice cake. I will often use it to stuff a pork or turkey loin before cooking. It gives a marvelous flavor to meats.

Persimmon Apple Butter

Makes two pint jars

Ingredients

• 2 cups (250.31 g) sugar (turbinado or white)
• 12 Fuyu Persimmons peeled and chopped fine *1
• 2 large Granny smith Apples peeled and chopped
• 1 Orange, (zest and juice only)
• 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
• 1 tsp Ground Cloves
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
• 1/2 (170g) cup bottled lemon juice

Method

You will need the following equipment for this recipe

1 Crock Pot, slow cooker or other type of slow cooking device. #2

2 Canning jars with new lids and rings

• Add all the ingredients in a slow cooker or crock pot.
• Stir all ingredients well then cover.
• Cook the fruit butter on high until all comes to a boil and reduce temp to low. (This should keep the heat up to continue to keep the mixture cooking alone.)
• Check and stir occasionally, make sure it’s not scorching or burning. Add more lemon juice if it gets too thick.
• Check for done-ness, the butter should be reduced and darkened. You can continue cooking without the cover for another 1–1 1/2 hours until it’s reduced enough. You’ll need to watch it carefully after the first hour. It should not yet be completely thickened, so add more lemon or apple juice if needed or water. (sparingly)
• The butter should have broken down enough. You can stop the cooking until cooled and blend the butter until smooth, returning to the cooker to heat again for more cooking. (or blend half of it to have a diverse consistency) I use a masher to help the process along and it’s always worked well for me. (Albeit a few chunks) Go with what you think is best.
• Use a hot water bath canning method. This will fill 2 pint jars.

Note:

1. If the persimmons are very soft and seem “past it” they are most likely perfect and should not be thrown out. Cut in half and scoop out flesh with a spoon, this is actually when the persimmons are at their best.
2. I use a Ninja slow cooker, this allows for more variables of temperature, but if you are comfortable with a certain type of cooker, use that. You can do this on the stove but you have to be comfortable that this will cook without burning. I’ve lost a few fruit butters over the years because the top looked great and the bottom was burned to carbon. Use your judgement but keep an eye on what you are doing and always keep stirring.

If you want more persimmon recipes, here is a link to another article I have written about this glorious fruit.

• Pick a Peck of Persimmons by Dean Jones

Go to https://readmedium.com/pick-a-peck-of-persimmons-3744403b2691

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Dean Jones is a Librarian, Cookbook Reviewer, and writer. Originally from San Diego and having lived his teen years in the Pacific Northwest, Dean has lived for over 20 years in the wonderful but barely affordable San Francisco Bay Area. Dean has graduated with an MLIS from the University of North Texas and has a BA in Liberal Studies from JFK University in the Bay Area. Dean is the Library Director for Hurwich Library in the San Francisco Bay Area. Dean can be seen at Book Festivals and Library field trips with the BayNet Libraries Group, of which he the Vice President. He can also be seen haunting farmers’ markets, bookstores, and local restaurants. Dean lives in the SF Bay Area with his lovely wife (also a Librarian and writer), six kids, and many books. Dean has been published in “Amoral Beatitudes Magazine”and writes on Medium for “One Table One World,” “The Cookbook for All,” “An Idea,” and “Authors what are you reading.” Contact Dean at [email protected]

And search out more stories at One Table, One World by Kim Duke, and Kathryn Dillon!