Rookie Cookery

Blood Oranges: No Such Thing As Bad Fruit, Only Ignorant Gardeners (Me)

Blood oranges got their name from the deep red color of their juice and fruit.  They are usually very  sweet and delicious. I love them. For a great article on the virtues of  blood oranges, look no further than Simply Recipes by my friend Elise.

Our tree produces lots of fruit, but I am sad to say they are uncharacteristically sour.  When we first moved into this house three and a half years ago, the neighbors said "That tree has bad fruit." Of course I thought that was absurd! How could a blood orange tree have bad fruit? But although I eat the fruit, I must admit it is barely edible.

I blame myself.  Surely we must not be feeding or watering the tree correctly?  Or perhaps the soil in our garden lacks some essential nutrient. In any case, I refuse to admit defeat.  I am feeding it with citrus food, beginning a program of slow and deep (but not too frequent) waterings.  I'll let you know how it all turns out.

Persimmon Vinegar and Pickled Persimmons

I'll bet you thought I was all out of ideas for using persimmons!  Here is a beautiful and  tasty way to preserve the harvest: make your own flavored vinegar.  Fruit vinegars are often made with citrus such as lemon or oranges, but any fruit can be used to impart their flavor to the vinegar, which can then be used to brighten a salad.   The pickled fruit can also be chopped and added to salsas or salads.

PERSIMMON VINEGAR AND PICKLED PERSIMMONS

Prepare the fruit by washing it, and cutting away the calyx and stem.  Place the whole fruit into a wide mouth jar, packing them as closely as possible without crushing them.

In a separate container, mix 4 cups distilled white vinegar and 1/2 to 3/4 cup sugar until clear. Pour the vinegar over the fruit until it is covered completely.  (The fruit will tend to float in the jar. If need be, you can add a wad of plastic wrap to the top of the jar to keep the fruit submerged in the vinegar.)

If you need more liquid, blend each additional 1 cup vinegar with 2 to 3 tablespoons sugar. Close the jar airtight.

In three weeks to three months, the vinegar will be ready to enjoy. Refrigerate the opened jar.  Mix with olive oil and seasonings and use as a dressing for your favorite salad.

Persimmon Pickles Recipe

You read that right: persimmon pickles!

An over abundance of fruit usually inspires one to jam or jelly making.  However most fruit canning recipes call for lots of sugar, and I'd like to find a way to preserve the harvest without adding extra sugar.  So far the best way has been to simply freeze the fruit, but freezer space is limited.  Making persimmon sauce is another good method, but I am not sure it can be canned safely. (More research needed; it turns out that the natural acidity of the fruit has to be just right in order to can it safely.)

My epiphany came when I discovered that naturally tart flavors, such as yogurt,  pair nicely with persimmons. Could one actually pickle them? I no sooner had formed this question in my mind, planning to devise my own experiment, when I ran across just such a recipe on  Sunset.com web site.  (Weirdly, I cannot find their link to the original recipe!) Their recipe is called Fuyu Persimmon Chili Pickles, and calls for the addition of red hot peppers and additional vegetables in the mix such as onions and bell peppers.  I could not find the type of red peppers I wanted at the store, so I substituted a sprinkle of red pepper flakes. I also ended up pickling more persimmons than the other vegetables, because that was my main concern.

Here is the original recipe:

FUYU PERSIMMON CHILI PICKLES
(excerpted from Sunset .com preserving persimmons article)

4 pounds crisp-ripe Fuyu-type persimmons
3 medium-size onions
2 medium-size green bell peppers, stemmed and seeded
8 medium-size cloves garlic
12 small dried hot red chilies
6 cups water
2 1/2 cups white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon picking spices

Instructions:

Peel, core and cut persimmons into 1-inch wedges, discarding any seeds. Cut the onions and bell peppers into 1-inch squares; set fruit and vegetables aside.

Peel and slightly crush the garlic; break each chili in half.

In a 4- to 6-quart pan, bring garlic, chili, water, vinegar, salt, and pickling spices to boiling on high heat.  In batches, blanch the persimmons briefly in the hot water and set aside to drain.

Pour 1/8 of the onions into each of 8 hot canning jars, 1-pint size. Add 1/8 of the persimmons to each jar, then top with 1/8 of the bell peppers. Bring cooking liquid to boiling and pour equally into each jar, filling to within 1/4 inch of rim.

Can fruit,  following traditional methods.  Store in a cool, dark place at least 2 weeks before serving. If jars do not seal, store up to 6 months in the refrigerator, up to 1 month if opened. Makes 8 pints.

*****

This was my first foray into "real" canning, and it was both daunting and fun.

Here is the daunting part:

Now, I know that steam is very very hot and can burn,  (I always drain pasta holding it well away from my body and face) but I did indeed make the Rookie Error of reaching  over the pot of simmering jars,  and count myself lucky that the burn I got was actually rather mild and only hurt for a day.   And I only nicked myself with the knife twice, peeling those slippery pieces of fruit. 

Here's another thing I learned: Take the amount of time you think it will take to prepare the fruit, and then double it.  And prepare it ALL before you begin the canning process, because you don't want your pickling solution to boil away before the fruit is ready.  I know this from personal and unfortunate experience.

Having said that, we have been waiting patiently for a couple of weeks while the persimmon pickles make their magic transformation. I am about ready to crack open a jar and see if I am happy with the results.  I am a tad concerned that the fruit was too soft, and that the texture will come out mushy. (shudder).   I suppose if it does I could puree it into a kind of pickled chutney?  I'll report back.

But don't the jars look all pretty?  It makes me happy to see them in the pantry. 

Fuyu Persimmon Yogurt Crunch Recipe

I'm forever trying to come up with new ways to enjoy the crisp, sweet Fuyu persimmons from our tree.   Usually I bake with them or simply slice and eat them raw.  Because they are naturally so sweet,  I often want to pair them with something else to cut the sweetness while playing up the spicy notes in this unusual fruit.

Then it came to me in a brilliant flash of insight:  Yogurt!  The tart and creamy tang  of plain yogurt is the perfect foil for the sweetness of the persimmon, while the persimmon mellows out the sourness of the yogurt.  A sprinkle of  crunchy granola or walnuts adds the perfect textural garnish. 

Fruit, yogurt and granola is hardly a new combination,  but using persimmons this way was a revelation for me.  It works as breakfast or a dessert.   

I know what you're thinking. "If persimmons play well with yogurt, wouldn't they work nicely with sour cream too?"

Yes. Yes, they do.  As a variation, mix the sour cream with a bit of brown sugar,  and use that as a sauce for the persimmons. (Just as strawberries are sometimes served, which is where I got the idea.)

I deserve a medal. :)

Fuyu Persimmon Sauce Recipe

As I puzzled over new ways to use our abundant crop of persimmons this year, an idea came to me in a flash: These are the crisp variety of persimmons, that one eats like apples. I'll make persimmon sauce!

Since I had never made apple sauce before, (let alone even heard of persimmon sauce,) I consulted the brilliant and comprehensive book, Sauces: Classical and Contemporary Sauce Making by James Peterson. This book was an award winner and for good reason. I remembered that there was a section on fruit sauces, and I based my recipe on his guidance.

The sauce was delicious, and I felt that I had really discovered something. The persimmon sauce tastes light and refreshing, and can be frozen for future use. Serve chilled with an extra sprinkle of cinnamon to taste.

PERSIMMON SAUCE

Ingredients:
Fuyu persimmons (about four or five medium to large size)
1 or 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
ground cinnamon (2 teaspoons or to taste)
ground nutmeg (just a dash--optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Clean, peel and core two cups of chopped Fuyu persimmons (about five good sized persimmons).

Cover the chopped persimmons with water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer until fruit is soft and easily pierced with a fork. This could take 20 to 30 minutes.

Remove the fruit from the heat. Drain the fruit, but reserve the cooking liquid for future use.

After the cooked fruit has cooled, place it into a food processor and pulse it until it is desired smooth consistency. Add cooking liquid, a few tablespoons at a time, to make a smooth sauce. I used at least a quarter cup of the liquid.

Place the sauce into a mixing bowl. Add a few tablespoons of fresh lemon juice (to taste), and a generous sprinkling of cinnamon and nutmeg (optional).

Chill the sauce and enjoy!

Cooling Melon Salad

Here's a rookie cookery tip for you: Cutting up a clever serving bowl out of the watermelon rind is NOT like carving a pumpkin. I found this out the hard way, when I decided that I would finally make one of those artfully carved melon bowls by slicing the little zig zag pattern directly into the watermelon, just as if I were carving the big grin on a jack-o-lantern....and then trying to pry the thing apart without destroying it. This was unwise, but somehow I mangled--I mean I managed it.

In retrospect, what I should have done was simply slice the watermelon neatly in half, in a straight line. THEN I could use the melon baller to empty out the rind, THEN I could have carved the artfully shaped rim.

As it turns out, one big watermelon yields a large number of melon balls, so I had plenty to fill the bowl for this fruit salad, plus some left over. I also carved a couple of cantelopes into the mix, and garnished it with some fresh mint leaves from the garden. This was a big hit at the picnic, as well as finally providing me with a chance to use the melon baller (and give my right forearm a workout!). Everyone needs to do this at least once, don't you think?