I think chutney would be a good use. I saw a recipe recently. What kind of persimmons do you have?

I'd make jam not jelly. But I like a little texture.

Chutney! That's a good idea! I'm not a big fan of the stuff but it would make good gifts. (I'm not big on persimmons, either, to be honest!)

They're Fuyu persimmons, so they'd have a little body I think.

I guess I meant "jam" and not "jelly"--I live with a 3 and 6 year old so my food vocabulary is toddlerified. :) Maybe I mean "preserves"?

Here is the first one I saw but it looks a bit vinegary to me. Allrecipes.com

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups cider vinegar
1 cup chopped onion
1 large Granny Smith apple - peeled, cored and chopped
1 cup golden raisins
3/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 green chile peppers, seeded and minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon ground coriander seed
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
4 Fuyu persimmons, peeled and chopped

Directions

In a large saucepan combine the apple cider vinegar, chopped onion, chopped apple, golden raisins, sugar, lemon juice, chili, ginger, lemon peel, coriander and cloves. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until mixture thickens, stirring frequently, about 25 minutes. Add the persimmons and simmer until the persimmons are tender about 5 to 10 minutes.
Remove from the heat and let cool completely. Cover and refrigerate chutney. May be made a day or two ahead.

Here is another from Alpha-cook.com:

Sweet (Fuyu) Persimmon Chutney, adapted from Sunset Magazine
makes about 8-9, 8oz jars

4 cups water
1/2 cup brandy or cognac (optional)
about 3 pounds of (ripened) Fuyu persimmons
about 1/2 pound dried apricots, chopped
4 small red jalapenos (or similar red mild red pepper), seeded and chopped
3-4 Tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
1 Tbsp mustard seed
1 tsp chili powder
1-1/2 cups white wine vinegar *
1-1/4 cups white sugar
1 cup brown sugar, packed

1. Prep the persimmons by peeling them with a
vegetable peeler and then chopping the fruit into small pieces or chunks. Remove seeds if you find any. You'll probably end up with about 6 cups of fruit. 2. In a non-reactive pot (big enough to hold at least 6 quarts), add ingredients water through chili powder. Bring contents to a boil and reduce heat to let the mixture simmer. Cover the pot and cook about 15 minutes.
3. Add vinegar and sugar, stirring well. Then allow the mixture to simmer for about an hour, or until the mixture reaches the desired thickness. The chutney can be served immediately. Addition of salt is optional.

*I ran out of white vinegar and used half apple cider vinegar to make up for it. I like the results and would probably make the same substitution again.

BWB process 15 minutes for 8 oz jars.

I hope someone with a tree gifts me with some Fuyus so I can make this. :)

It's not jelly :), but ThePioneerWoman posted this persimmon recipe today from her Tasty Kitchen site.

Here is a link that might be useful: Nonnie's Persimmon Pudding

You can buy dehydrated persimmons in Asian stores.

Have you tried to dry them?

dcarch

Ive not made this one, but it may work for you

Persimmon Jam
Ingredients:
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

Cooking Directions:
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
3 pounds persimmons
7 cups sugar
2 lemons -- juice only
6 ounces liquid pectin

Wash, peel and seed the persimmons; then mash them. Place persimmon pulp
in a preserving kettle, add the sugar and lemon juice and mix well. Bring
slowly to a boil over high heat until sugar has dissolved, stirring
frequently. Boil hard for 1 minute, then remove the kettle from the heat
and stir in the liquid pectin.

Skim thoroughly with a metal spoon. Ladle into hot sterilized jars and
seal immediately.

Jessy or Gina,
Do either of you have the recipe for that delicious persimmon chutney of 5 years ago or more? I went a bit crazy at today's Farmer's Market and I remember that recipe was excellent. It might make me brake out the canning jars and equipment. Or maybe not...!

Please share it if you find it!
Thanks!

Yup, got it. I think I BWBed my last batch.

Persimmon Chutney
2 pounds crisp-ripe to soft-ripe Fuyu-type persimmons; or
2 pounds soft-ripe Hachiya-type persimmons
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger or 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 tablespoon mustard seed
3 1/2 cups water
3/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 pound (2 cups) dried apricots
1 1/2 cups white wine vinegar
1 1/2 cups raisins
1 1/4 cups firmly packed brown sugar

1. To prepare Fuyu-type persimmons, cut off stems and peel with a sharp knife or vegetable peeler. chop fruit, discarding any seeds; you need 4 1/2 cups fruit.
To prepare Hachiya-type persimmons, pull off stems, then cut fruit in half and scoop pulp from skin with a spoon; you need 2 2/3 cups fruit. Set fruit aside.

2. If using Fuyu-type persimmons, in a 5- to 6-quart pan combine fruit with water, apricots, raisins, ginger, mustard seed, and chili powder. Bring to a boil,
reduce heat to a simmer, then cover and cook 10 minutes. Add vinegar and sugar. Simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally then more frequently as mixture thickness,
until most of the liquid evaporates and chutney is reduced to 7 cups, about 45 minutes; remove from heat.

3. If using Hachiya-type persimmons, in a 5- to 6- quart pan bring water, apricots, raisins, ginger, mustard, and chili to boiling, reduce heat to simmer, cover, and cook
10- minutes. Add vinegar and sugar. Simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally until reduced to 41/2 cups, about 55 minutes. Stir in Hachiya-type fruit and remove at once from heat.

4. Serve chutney warm, or store in covered jars in the refrigerator up to 1 month; or freeze in easy-to-use units.

Wonderful! I am inspired!!

Now I just have to make enough my undersized persimmons ripen simultaneously...

What are Hachya persimmons? we only get fuyu here?
But the chutney sounds awesome!

I always thought of the Hachiyas as being the normal ones--the ones that have to get really red and squishy before you can even think of eating.

All the recipes I have for cookies and pudding from older generations of relatives assume you've got the squishy pulpy ones. I thought Fuyus were the weird ones!

Hachiyas is the heart shaped one. It must be extremely ripe before you can eat it otherwise it does funny things to your tongue and mouth. I underline "extremely". The problem is, it takes several weeks before it is ripe.

Here is a trick:

Put it in the freezer overnight. The next day thaw and it will be ready.

dcarch

Thanks Jessy, I knew you'd come through! Hooray, I think I can actually tolerate all the ingredients in that recipe!

BTW, my apologies,I shouldn't type when I'm so tired-- the word is BREAK not brake...sheesh!

Ellen, you're welcome! Enjoy!

Linda and fori, both are very different. Fuyus are flat and I eat them like apples. They are more versatile in cooking as well. I prefer them to the acorn shaped hachiyas which to me are a 'one trick pony' - eat only when jelled. Hmmm I have some hachiya pulp in my freezer, time to make a pudding/cake.

I've heard of freezing hachiyas to ripen them. I can see that that would make them soft as though ripened but how does it affect the tannins that make you pucker like crazy or develop the sugar? They are common yard trees in older neighborhoods here and occasionally I will be gifted with some or lots.

Copying the chutney recipe...

Freezing them makes them think they've been through a frost which I guess is one thing that encourages them to ripen in nature.

Sorta like Californians digging up their tulip bulbs and freezing them over the winter.