I hate persimmons. At least, I think I do. We have a huge persimmon tree in our backyard and each year I try one and each year I dislike it. The permissions are plump and a beautiful orange color but they leave a chalky, strange feeling in my mouth. It's like they coat my mouth with a bizarre residue. I'm not the only one who has tried them and failed.
Although I feel badly that so many persimmons go to waste in my yard, I take some comfort in knowing that the birds love them. I may not be using the persimmons but I'm keeping wildlife alive and thriving.
But, maybe in a cake persimmons could win me over :-) I haven't heard of persimmon cake so now I am eager to try this recipe once our tree is bearing fruit (sometime this winter).
Persimmon Cake
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 cup persimmon pulp
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
Cream the shortening and sugar, add the persimmon pulp and beaten eggs. Sift dry ingredients and add to 1st mixture. Beat well and pour into square pan in moderate oven (325F) for 1 hour.
I'm curious how this would taste -- has anyone else ever had a persimmon cake?
Hi Allen
You've not only found an old fashioned recipe, but you seem to have an old fashioned variety of persimmon which are astringent, which gives that unpleasant feeling you get in your mouth. Try a persimmon from a modern variety, and don't eat it till it's very soft and almost like jelly beneath the skin. They are sweet with a flavour all their own.
Lorna
New Zealand
Persimmons are very astringent when they are unripe. But they are juicy and sweet and soft as butter when they ripen! The ripe ones fall from the tree. So try eating one that has newly fallen on the ground, but hasn't split open or been eaten by ants or squirrels. They are best (sweetest) when harvested after a frost.
Yes, I have made persimmon bread and it is delicious!
I'm just learning about persimmons, as well. There are two basic types- the Hachiya (kinda shaped like an acorn) which is very atringent (that chalky taste) when unripe, but very sweet and rich when that are SUPER soft and almost mushy.
The other basic type is the Fuyu: it looks like a tomato,sort of flat and round. The Fuyu is sweet even when it's firm- as long as it's the reddish orange color of a ripe persimmon.
I'm going to try your recipe, as a friend has given us some ripening Hachiya persimmons and I have two large ones that are just now 'jelly-like'.