By Beka Garris
This time of year, many foragers will put aside their baskets and mesh bags and take a breather for the cold winter months. However, if you live in an area where Wild Persimmons grow in abundance, then you know that now is a great time to get out and pick some fruit.
If you are unfamiliar with Persimmons, they are native to North America and grow on trees. The fruit itself is small, roughly an inch to two inches across, and when ripe resembles an orange plum. Unlike most fruits, Persimmons aren’t ready to be picked until after the first frost, when the fruit turns soft and squishy. Unripe persimmons will be extremely astringent and leave a bad taste in your mouth, while ripe ones are deliciously sweet. This fruit is loved equally by both humans and wildlife so you’ve got to be there at the right time if you want to gather enough to eat.
While it’s a great snack by itself, I enjoy bringing the fruit home to make into muffins or some type of dessert. Using a food mill or metal strainer, you can easily push the ripe fruit through to get rid of the seeds, and the pulp can be frozen for later use as well.
My favorite recipe so far is a cheesecake recipe that I tweaked to fit the flavor profile of persimmons. In my opinion this lightly sweet dessert is the perfect side dish to bring to a holiday gathering.
EASY PERSIMMON RECIPE
Ingredients:
Crust:
14 graham crackers, crushed
11 TBS butter, melted
½ cup brown sugar
Cheesecake:
16 oz cream cheese
1 to 1&1/2 cups of pureed persimmon pulp
1 egg yolk
2 eggs
2/3 cup maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract (can sub maple extract)
Cinnamon sugar for topping (optional)
Instructions:
Combine all of the crust ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Press into a 9” springform cheesecake pan, making sure to press the crust up the sides.
In a separate bowl, use an electric mixer to whip the cream cheese until soft. Add the egg yolk and eggs one at a time, and use the electric mixer after each egg is added to fully incorporate. Add the maple syrup and persimmon pulp and mix again, making sure there are no remaining lumps.
Spread the cheesecake mixture evenly over the crust and bake at 325 for 45 minutes.
Allow to cool slightly, then refrigerate for at least two hours or overnight.
Once ready to serve, lightly sprinkle the top with cinnamon sugar.
Garnish with whole persimmons if desired.
