Persimmon Recipes That Put the Fruit to Delicious Use
Those little orange orbs peeping out from the produce aisle mean persimmon season is here and that it's time to whip out your favorite persimmon recipes—and maybe even try some new ones. Persimmons are typically at their best from October through December, when their honey-sweet flavors are used in snacks, salads, and desserts. There are two main types of persimmons—fuyu and hachiya. Fuyu persimmons are prized for their shiny skins and raw sweetness, while the more tannic hachiya are often used for cooking and baking. Featuring savory persimmon recipes and sweet crisps and crumbles packed with persimmons, this collection of our best persimmon recipes is ready for you to try.
Priscilla's Persimmon and Pomegranate Salad
This spicy, crunchy, and nutty fruit salad is everything your fall table has been craving. Four ripe fuyu persimmons set the base for this fruity twist on salsa. Keep the seeds in the fresh jalapeño for a spicier kick, otherwise remove them before slicing and let the toasted pine nuts bring a different kind of warmth to this persimmon salad.
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Pomegranate Pot Roast
Fuyu persimmon recipes can be sweet, savory, or a mix of both. This savory persimmon recipe pairs tender beef pot roast with chopped onions and garlic in a sweet and salty sauce of pomegranate juice and beef broth. Wedges of persimmons are added in the last 30 minutes of the cook time so they're able to soak up the savory sauce without losing their signature sweetness.
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Persimmon Cobbler
This persimmon cobbler is the ultimate fall comfort food, especially when topped with a blanket of delectable warm vanilla custard sauce. Fuyu persimmons are best in this recipe, but you'll want to peel them first to let their sugars shine in this persimmon dessert.
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Escarole, Radicchio, and Fuyu Persimmon Salad
This colorful persimmon salad will brighten up your fall table. Bold radicchio leaves and verdant escarole layer together with sliced fuyu persimmons and thinly sliced slivers of Manchego cheese. The homemade dressing makes all the difference, especially once it's topped with toasted walnuts.
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Spice Tea Breakfast Bread Pudding
Infuse your breakfast with seasonal fruit and spiced tea. Loose leaf orange spice tea brews in a milk mixture to create the warming spices for this persimmon bread pudding recipe. The French bread soaks up the eggs and sauce to create a persimmon pudding recipe perfect for fall.
Buy It: Tea Forte Orange Spice Tea ($17, Amazon)
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Persimmon-Walnut Coffee Cake
The key to perfecting this brunch-ready persimmon cake recipe is finding very ripe hachiya persimmons. Strained persimmon pulp and brown sugar then become the sweet filling for this cinnamon-spiced cake. Top the cake with a walnut streusel crumble for a cake worthy of eating for breakfast, brunch, or dessert. Use a muffin tin to turn this coffee cake recipe into delicious persimmon muffins instead.
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Steamed Figgy Pudding
This steamed holiday dessert is filled with dried fruits and spices, but it's the dehydrated persimmons that warm our wintry hearts. Dry your own, or purchase pre-dehydrated persimmons to slice to your desired thickness before placing them on top of this persimmon pudding. Top this traditional British recipe with a homemade custard sauce … bourbon optional.
Buy It: Bella Viva Dried Persimmons ($13, Amazon)
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Persimmon, Blood Orange, and Pomegranate Salad
This beautiful persimmon salad is a showstopper. Vibrant slices of blood oranges and sweet fuyu persimmons nest into the bed of mixed greens among sliced green onions. Don't skimp on the pine nut-persimmon vinaigrette; it's so good, you may want to bottle up extra to use for the rest of the season.
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New Cranberry Sauce
Persimmons and pomegranates sweeten this tangy and savory cranberry sauce. Caramelized onions and sautéed garlic infuse a savory punch and make this persimmon jam ideal for spooning atop roast turkey or pork. Top it with a sprig of rosemary and serve warm, or store it in the fridge for up to 48 hours.