A couple of years ago, my friend Kimberly and I were walking through my orchard when she spied an orange fruit hanging from one of the trees. Plucking it off and pointing it toward her mouth, she was about to take a bite when I caught her.

“No!” I snapped. “You don’t want to eat that!” 

“But why? What is it? It looks ripe.” she replied undaunted.

That’s what I love about her (well, one of the many things). Her curiosity and appreciation for food of all types is what brought us together and has helped us cultivate such a strong friendship.

When I saw that fruit headed toward her open mouth, I was horrified because I know too well the damage an unripe Hachiya persimmon can do to the tongue. It’s almost as bad as biting into an uncured olive straight off the tree. Left unwarned, Kimberly’s mouth would have puckered with the texture of a thousand hair balls and would be nearly impossible to purge, regardless of how much water she swallowed, or spat. Only time would cleanse her palette from the astringent tannins of the unripe fruit.

And this is the bane of the lowly persimmon. I believe it is due to this affliction—the persimmon’s only real flaw—that it is so under-appreciated. But to be fair, there are two general types of cultivated persimmons, the Hachiya and the Fuyu, each with its own distinctive attributes and uses. They are both delicious when given the consideration they each deserve. To put it simply, one is for baking and the other is for eating straight off the tree. Obviously, the one headed for my friend’s mouth was not the latter. 

I grew up with the baking one, the Hachiya. Ready to make her famous persimmon cookies, my mom would declare them ripe enough, and would send me out to the orchard to gather only the ones that were so ripe they looked as though they would lose contact with the branch at any moment. And naturally, many of those had already been deemed ripe by the birds. These elongated, oval-shaped fruits are mouth-puckeringly tart unless absolutely, supremely ripe. They should be unbelievably soft and are often nearly liquified into a silky, smooth jelly-like pulp inside the peel. When pureed, they add substantial moisture and a mild, pumpkin-like flavor to cakes, cookies, breads, and puddings. With the addition of fall spices, these tasty baked treats can liven up an otherwise drab cooking season and rival the fragrance and flavor of any pumpkin-based fare.

By contrast to the Hachiya, the Fuyu persimmon is considered to be non-astringent, although not completely free of tannins as the term suggests, but it is far less astringent than the Hachiya before it is fully ripened. Its tannins also disappear sooner in the maturation process, so you can eat Fuyus while still on the firm side, although they are also wonderful when very soft. The Fuyu is smaller than the Hachiya and somewhat squat and flat. They add interest and flavor to any salad and are quite delicious fresh off the grill. These bright orange gems have become my favorite apple replacement on my late-season charcuterie board.

According to folklore, persimmon seeds can be used to predict the severity of the coming winter. The seeds from a locally grown persimmon are soaked in hot water to soften before being gently pried apart so that the cotyledon inside is visible. If the tiny plant-to-be has a fork shape, the winter will be mild. A spoon shaped cotyledon indicates that there will be a lot of snow, but beware of the cotyledon in the shape of a knife, as the winter will be bitingly cold, or “cut like a knife.” Although many mid-westerners and easterners, including farmers, believe this old wive’s tale, I’m not sure how accurate it would be here in the valley, since we don’t generally get a lot of snow. 

Whether the old lore is to be believed or not, it does say a lot about how the persimmon is revered in other parts of the country. Once you get to know persimmons and how to use them, you’re sure to find delicious ways to indulge. Whether it’s scooping out the luscious flesh of a Hachiya to be baked into a steamy, spiced pudding, or slicing a firm Fuyu into a fall-fruit salad with fresh winter mesclun, they are sure to be one of your go-to late-season fruits. As for myself, I grow both types on the farm and am excited to share them both—in their best form—with my friend Kimberly. 

Persimmon Cookies

2 ripe persimmons, pureed

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin spice

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup sugar

½ cup butter

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup raisins

1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease cookie sheets.

Place persimmon pulp in a small bowl; stir in baking soda until dissolved and set aside. Sift flour, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and salt into a large bowl; set aside.

Beat sugar and butter in a separate large bowl until smooth. Beat in egg and persimmon mixture. Add vanilla.

Add flour mixture and stir until just combined. Fold in raisins and walnuts.

Drop spoonfuls of dough 2 inches apart onto the prepared baking sheets.

Bake in the preheated oven until edges are golden, about 15 minutes.

Cool on the baking sheet briefly before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Tortue du Soleil Update

Great news for all you Kindle/eBook readers–Tortue du Soleil is now available on Amazon. 

Tortue du Soleil is also available at Capital Books downtown Sacramento, K Street, as well as Tom’s Used Book Store downtown Lodi, as well as several other establishments around town. I am working on a collaboration with the newly-opened Ripon Book Store and will be giving a presentation sometime in the future. 

Tortue du Soleil finally made it through French customs and is now available in the airport on Tahiti and Vaima Shopping Center, downtown Papeete where the stories take place.

If you are interested in getting a signed copy, check my events page to see where I’ll be set up. Stay tuned ’cause November is filling up fast!

I hope you are enjoying your copy of Tortue du Soleil, and will remember to leave a review on Amazon. You can leave a review without having purchased the book there and every review helps to keep the sales going and the books in stock.

Got a question or comment? Leave me a message here or on my contact page—I’d love to hear from you!

Hope you have a great November and Blessed Thanksgiving! 

S.E. Filomeo 😊