Persimmons are exotic fruits that are also known as the “food of the gods” because of their wonderful aroma. Originally from China, this fruit has only been known in our latitudes for 150 years. Relatively demanding, it can be easily cultivated in the home garden and produces rich yields. Then it is important to preserve the delicious fruit, which can be done, for example, by drying it.
How to dry persimmon fruits?
To dry persimmons, cut unripe but slightly yielding fruits into thin slices, place them on the racks of a dehydrator or a baking sheet and dry them at 70 degrees in the dehydrator or 50-60 degrees in the oven for about 24 hours.
Harvest persimmons a little earlier for drying
Only fully ripe fruits are suitable for raw consumption due to their high tanin content. Persimmons for drying, on the other hand, are harvested unripe. They should give slightly under pressure, but still be firm.
Drying persimmons
You can dry persimmons in the oven or dehydrator. Proceed as follows:
- Only use fruit that is in perfect condition without any damaged areas.
- Peel the persimmons and slice them finely.
- Place on the racks of the dehydrator. They are not allowed to touch each other.
- Set device to 70 degrees.
- It takes about 24 hours to dry.
- Let cool and store in tightly sealed containers.
Alternatively, you can place the slices on a baking tray lined with baking paper and dry them in the oven at 50 to 60 degrees.
Dried persimmon peels, a delicious delicacy
In Asian cuisine, hardly anything is thrown away. The shells of the spooned persimmons are also used. You can nibble on them plain like chips or add them to dishes as an aromatic ingredient. Dried persimmon peels, for example, are also an indispensable ingredient in Nuka-zuke, a Japanese fermented vegetable speci alty.
- Remove the pulp completely from the persimmon peels until only the fine skin remains.
- Leave them to dry in the air, a place above the heater is ideal.
- The speci alty will keep in an airtight container for up to a year.
Tip
You can let unripe persimmons ripen at room temperature within one to two weeks. The ripening process goes faster if you store the persimmons in the fruit bowl next to apples or other types of fruit that secrete ethylene.
