Persimmon Pudding

“This was very yummy! The persimmon by itself was terribly bitter but in this recipe it was absolutely delicious!”

“I have not yet tried this particular recipe, but persimmons were an integral part of our yearly foraging pattern when I was growing up and we always had frozen pulp on hand. This is an unusual fruit, and care must be taken in order to ensure a pleasant experience. First, and most important, NEVER pick the fruit from the tree, at least until after gaining some familiarity with the fruit, it must be fully ripe and soft, otherwise we call it “puckery” and it is a most unpleasant and unforgettable taste which may put one off persimmons forever. The fruit is best when soft, and it is generally best to wait til they fall. This will vary from one tree to another, some here being good in August while others will not be ready till a frost or freeze. The ones that fall will look nasty sometimes, bits of leaf and dirt stuck to them, but this is MUCH preferable to an unripe fruit. Simply mash them through a colander to remove the seeds and debris, a bit messy true but sometimes really good food requires a bit of work. We are currently in the midst of harvest season here in Southern Indiana, and while we are in the midst of a severe drought and this was a record summer here for heat, the fruit is, to my taste buds, some of the sweetest I’ve ever encountered. Give it a try, but do it properly, and you should have good results.”

“You have to bake it for more like an hour. I put my oven at 315 for the first 35 minutes, then turned it up to 325 and kept setting the timer for 10 minutes. I baked it for another 35 minutes at 325. I used a little less sugar than it called for, too. Probably 3/4 cup. Great recipe, though!! And I shot a photo of mine since there wasn’t one here. Use Hachiya persimmons when they are squishy ripe. No bitterness whatsoever. They can also ripen after being picked. The birds can get them or they can fall and splat on your head, as happened to my neighbor.”

“Delicious!Can’t keep this stuff in the kitchen, everyone loves it.”

“Greetings from Portugal.I have apersimmon tree in my front yard along with other fruit trees.I never knew youcould make pudding out of them, this is a great receipe it worked out really good for me.For those who do not know, persimmons have to be eaten when really ripe,or they won’t taste very goodthey will taste very dry if not fullyripe!Thank you Rhonda for sharing this receipe.”

“I don’t care for the persimmon fruit, but wanted to cook something for my mother-in-law who loved persimmons.This recipe was just what I needed.This pudding recipe is excellent.”

“Did you ever have one of those neighbors that grew too much of something and just knew they needed to give it all to you??My MIL’s neighbor has a persimmon tree.When presented with a plethora of persimmons she decided to make this, and after having some I borrowed some persimmons to make my own.I found the flavor and texture to be somewhat close to pumpkin pie.It was wonderful warm and tasted nothing of persimmon. “

“Tried this recipe today, it is a good one, sweet, beautiful brown color, moist, not too spicy..just right, as good as the one’s my mother in law use to make”

“We just tried this.It was delicious except too sweet, even after going to 3/4 cups of sugar.We will try again with 1/2 cup and will increase the cooking time.Very promising.”

“I didn’t exactly know how to make persimmon pulp so I just peeled the persimmons and squished them with my hand. It turned out wonderfully! It is very reminiscent of a pumpkin pie. I think I put in a little more nutmeg and cinnamon than was called for, and used only about 3/4 cup of sugar (I ran out!) It was delicious warm and still good the next day cold. I have a lot more persimmons so I’ll definitely be making this again soon!”

“Wow! Tastes kind of like blondies. I’m not a huge fan of persimmons, but an acquaintance insisted i take 4 (unripe ones) from her organic tree. I waited and waited, and they’re still not completely soft, but I made this pudding/cake anyway. Totally delicious, and you’d never know there were persimmons in there. My husband, also not a persimmon fan, describes it as “too good”. Next time I might add a little vanilla.”

“I’ve never tasted persimmons until this week when we got 3 in our weekly organic box.We ate one on it’s own, and liked it, but needed a way to use the other two.I tried this recipe to do just that.The pudding was ok, but a little too sweet for my liking.I think next time I’ll see what happens if I halve the sugar.I will try it again though.Thanks Rhonda O!”

“mm not bad at all.. I got some people (who didn’t know it had persimmons in it) to actually eat it when they normally don’t like them.Thanks!”

“This is wonderful! Have been wondering what to do with two trees full of persimmons, and have found the perfect solution. At least part of the solution. This recipe will stay in the favorites section of my cookbook. “