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.
In sunny CA...always trying to find things to do with persimmons. thank you.
Posted by: Kitchen Trove | February 25, 2008 at 09:34 PM