Persimmon Bread

Fuyus - courtesy Flicker by Outdoor

Unfortunately, if you have never tried a persimmon, you need to know that there are two popular varieties of persimmons.

Hachiya—shouldn’t be eaten until it is extremely ripe. Unless it has arrived at “soft,” it will have a taste like industrial-strength cleaner.

The other popular variety is Fuyus, which are short and squat; these are the variety to buy for eating fresh. The pointy-bottomed hachiyas are better for baking and are best when they are soft.

I discovered a magnificent recipe for Cranberry Persimmon Crisp at: Sweet Peony’s blog. I noticed that she used the Fuyus to make her Holiday crisp. Please check it out at: http://sweetpeonyblog.blogspot.com/2011/11/cranberry-persimmon-crisp.html

My mother’s mature Hachiya Persimmon tree produced immense quantities of this delicious fruit. We would naturally wait until they were quite soft and then scoop out the pulp and enjoy.

Some health researchers say that a persimmon a day may be better for your heart than an apple a day. Persimmons have significantly higher levels of sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron and manganese than apples. It is good to vary your diet, but you may want to include Persimmons especially while they are in season.

I am so thankful for the many fruits that God has given us, each ripe and delicious in its season.

My mother’s Persimmon harvest was abundant so we would process much of the Persimmon pulp and freeze it in 2 cup - zip lock bags. Then we could defrost a bag when we wanted to enjoy a lovely snack, or use them for baking. Persimmon Nut bread is my favorite method to use the persimmons and I share it here with you. Be sure to add the soda to the pulp as instructed.

Persimmon Nut Bread

Mix 2 cups sugar, 4 eggs and 1 cup oil together in a bowl.

Sift together 3 ½ cups flour, 1 ½ tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp salt.

To 2 cups persimmon pulp, add and mix well 2 tsp soda. Let set until gelled then add to the egg and oil mixture.

Add the dry flour mixture to the rest and mix with a wooden spoon.

Lastly add 1 cup chopped walnuts.

Pour into two regular size loaf bread pans. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour.

This post is linked with Ann Kroeker’s, Food on Fridays at http://annkroeker.com/
Do hop on over to her site and gather up some delicious and nutritious recipes.

And also linked to Laura’s Brag on God Fridays. Please visit and view many good words there at: http://www.beholdingglory.com/