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Persimmons are essentially a form of currency in Silicon Valley. Beginning in October, the vibrant orange fruit becomes a talking point on Nextdoor and a bartering tool to procure Facebook Marketplace finds. If you’re lucky enough to have a persimmon tree, you’ll often find yourself with too many persimmons to eat and may even tire of snacking on the fruit.
The two most common persimmon varieties along the Peninsula are Fuyu and Hachiya. A Fuyu looks somewhat like a mini pumpkin or tomato and can be eaten when it’s firm or soft, while a Hachiya resembles a large orange acorn and must be completely ripe before eating.
The Peninsula Foodist asked four local chefs for persimmon recipes to make the most of the abundant fall fruit. David Nayfeld of Che Fico Parco Menlo and Bubbelah shares his recipe for pickled persimmons, Stan Kwon of Restaurant Gish offers a persimmon ice cream recipe, Debby Wang of Tong Sui reveals how to make persimmon coconut pudding and Julie Cablay of Wild Onion Bistro and Bar shares a caramelized persimmon upside-down cake recipe.
Pickled Persimmons
Courtesy David Nayfeld
“I love persimmons, but their season is way too short. To make the most of their delicious flavor, I pickle them so I can enjoy them throughout the winter. The pickled fruit is great in salads, on cheese and salumi boards, or paired with mozzarella on a skewer as an hors d’oeuvre. The pickling liquid is just as versatile: It takes on the flavor of the persimmons and can be used in salad dressings or in a sauce to accompany whatever you’re cooking.” – David Nayfeld, chef-owner of Che Fico and Bubbelah in Menlo Park
Yield: 1 quart
Ingredients:
- 1 pound (500 grams) Fuyu persimmons, peeled, quartered and cored
- ¾ cup + 1 tablespoon (200 grams) white balsamic vinegar
- 2½ tablespoons (30 grams) sugar
- 1½ tablespoons (20 grams) water
- 1 whole star anise
- ½ teaspoon (1 gram) ground allspice
- ½ teaspoon (3 grams) black peppercorns
- 1½ teaspoons (7 grams) whole cloves
- 1½ teaspoons (7 grams) ground cinnamon
- 1½ teaspoons (3 grams) fennel seeds
- 1¼ teaspoons (7 grams) kosher salt
Instructions:
- Prepare the persimmons: Peel the persimmons, cut each into quarters and remove the center core. Place them in a clean heatproof container or jar.
- Make the pickling liquid: Add the white balsamic, sugar, water, star anise, allspice, black peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon, fennel seeds and salt to a saucepan.
- Bring the mixture to a full boil, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar and salt.
- Pour the hot liquid over the persimmons, making sure they are well covered.
- Let the persimmons and liquid cool to room temperature.
- Once cooled, chill the container over ice briefly, then transfer it to the refrigerator.
- Refrigerate until well chilled and the flavors have developed, at least two hours but ideally overnight.
Persimmon Ice Cream
Courtesy Stan Kwon
“My grandmother’s hometown is known for its chestnuts and persimmons, and my fondest childhood memories of visiting her are closely tied to this fruit. Every autumn, her town transforms into a stunning landscape of gold and amber, dotted with bright orange persimmons. During the harvest, she would save perfectly ripened persimmons for me and dry them for winter snacks. Even in the summer, she kept persimmons in the freezer so I could enjoy them as a sweet, cold treat.
“My favorite aspect of persimmon season is how humble yet generous this fruit is. Persimmons are a true symbol of abundance. I created this dessert at Restaurant Gish to share these cherished memories and stories with our guests.” – Stan Kwon, chef-owner of Restaurant Gish in Santa Clara
This recipe calls for both dried persimmon (for the ice cream) and hongsi persimmon (for the sauce). Hongsi persimmon is a Korean term used to describe a fully ripened persimmon that’s soft, sweet and a deep red-orange color.
Yield: 1 quart ice cream
Ingredients:
For the persimmon creme anglaise:
- 1¼ cups (300 grams) whole milk
- 1¼ cups (300 grams) heavy cream
- 1 vanilla bean
- 1 teaspoon (5 grams) salt
- 1 cup (200 grams) sugar
- 5 (90 grams) egg yolks
- ⅓ cup (50 grams) dried Fuyu or Hachiya persimmon
- ¼ cup (50 grams) cognac
- ½ cup (100 grams) water
- ½ cinnamon stick
- 1 star anise
For the persimmon sauce:
- 2 hongsi Fuyu or Hachiya persimmons
- 2 teaspoons (10 grams) lemon juice
Instructions:
- Combine cream and milk in a pot. Cut vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape the inside of the bean. Add both scraped vanilla and shell into the milk mixture. Bring it to a simmer.
- Cream egg yolk, sugar and salt together until the mixture becomes light in color.
- When the milk mixture reaches around 180℉, carefully add the egg yolk mixture while constantly whisking.
- Continue whisking until the mixture (creme anglaise) reaches 180℉ again. Pick out and discard the vanilla bean shell. Transfer mixture to a container and let it chill overnight.
- Dice the dried persimmon and soak it into cognac, water, cinnamon and star anise overnight. The next day, pick out the cinnamon and star anise, then blend the dried persimmon and liquid.
- Combine creme anglaise and dried persimmon puree and churn in the ice cream maker.
- Peel hongsi persimmons and add lemon juice to taste.
- To serve: Spoon hongsi sauce over a scoop of ice cream. Serve with a slice of gotgam (a sun-dried persimmon) and topping of your choice.
Persimmon Coconut Pudding
Courtesy Debby Wang
Tong Sui, a Sunnyvale-born coconut pudding chain with eight Bay Area locations (and more to come), offers a yearly persimmon series using fresh Hachiya persimmons. If you want to try making Tong Sui’s signature persimmon coconut pudding at home, chef-owner Debby Wang provides the recipe below. The base is a lightly sweet, jiggly coconut pudding, and it’s topped with a persimmon puree.
Yield: 5 8-ounce jars
Ingredients:
- 1¼ cups (300 milliliters) coconut milk
- 1¼ cups (300 milliliters) fresh coconut water
- ½ cup (100 milliliters) coconut cream
- ¾ cup (200 milliliters) organic whole milk
- ¼ cup (50 grams) organic cane sugar
- 1 tablespoon (10 grams) agar agar
- Fresh ripe Hachiya persimmon puree, for topping
Instructions:
- Prepare the persimmon purée using fully ripe, very soft Hachiya persimmons. Remove the stems and skin, scoop out the flesh and blend until completely smooth. Refrigerate until needed.
- Mix the dry ingredients. Thoroughly mix the cane sugar and agar agar together in a separate bowl. This helps distribute the agar evenly and reduces clumping.
- Add coconut milk, fresh coconut water, coconut cream and whole milk to a pot. Whisk until combined.
- Gradually whisk the sugar-and-agar mixture into the liquid until evenly dispersed. Heat over medium heat, stirring regularly.
- Bring to a gentle full boil. Once boiling, continue cooking for approximately 1–2 minutes, stirring continuously to completely dissolve and activate the agar.
- Remove from heat and stir well. Pour approximately 175–180 milliliters (about 6 ounces) of pudding mixture into each 8-ounce jar. You should get approximately 5 jars.
- Allow jars to cool, then refrigerate for at least 2–3 hours or until completely set and cold.
- Once the coconut pudding is fully set, add approximately 45–55 milliliters (1.5-2 ounces) of Hachiya persimmon purée on top of each pudding. Spread evenly to create a clean orange layer. Close the jars and keep refrigerated until serving.
Caramelized Persimmon Upside-Down Cake
Courtesy Julie Cablay
“As for persimmons, it is one of my favorite fall fruits. It pairs well with warm spices, creamy cheeses, nuts and savory ingredients.” – Julie Cablay, executive chef of Wild Onion Bistro and Bar in Palo Alto
Ingredients:
- 8 tablespoons (113 grams) unsalted butter
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons (362 grams) maple syrup
- 1½ cups (180 grams) flour
- 1 teaspoon (4 grams) baking powder
- ½ teaspoon (3 grams) baking soda
- ½ teaspoon (3 grams) salt
- ½ teaspoon (1 gram) ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon (0.5 gram) ground nutmeg
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
- ⅔ cup (157 grams) buttermilk
- ½ cup (50 grams) chopped roasted pecans
- 2 ripe Fuyu persimmons, cut into slices ¼ of an inch thick
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Over low heat on the stovetop, melt 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of maple syrup in a 10-inch skillet. It should not get hot or bubbly. Remove the pan from heat.
- In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the remaining 6 tablespoons of butter and 1 cup of maple syrup over medium low until they are thoroughly combined, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the bowl with a spatula, add in the egg and egg yolk, and beat for another minute.
- Add in half the flour mixture and beat for 10 seconds. Add in the buttermilk and beat for 10 seconds more. Add in the rest of the flour mixture, beat for 10 seconds, scrape down the bowl and beat for 20 seconds more.
- Stir in the pecans, scraping down the bowl in the process.
- Take the pan and swirl the butter-syrup mixture to make sure the sides and bottom of the pan are thoroughly coated, taking care if the pan is still hot. Pour the mixture into a 10-inch cake pan. Set one slice of persimmon in the middle of the pan, then layer persimmons in outward-moving concentric circles, overlapping them as necessary to cover the bottom of the pan completely.
- Pour the batter over the fruit and smooth out the surface. Bake on the center rack for 45-50 minutes, rotating the pan about 20 minutes into baking. The cake will brown slightly and is done when it tests clean in the middle.
- Remove pan from the oven. Allow it to cool until it can be handled safely without oven mitts (anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour or more).
- Using a thin butter knife or an icing spatula, gently loosen the sides of the cake. Place a large serving plate inverted on top of the pan. Bracing the plate against the pan with one hand, flip the cake over and out of the pan and onto the plate. If there is another set of hands to help with the heavy pan, all the better.
- Allow the cake to finish cooling on the plate. While the cake is cooling, make the maple cream. Whip the cream, maple syrup and cinnamon together to form soft peaks. Keep refrigerated until the cake is ready to serve.
- Serve slices of cake warm with big dollops of maple cream.
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