Nothing says fall in the old, rural North Carolina kitchens like harvesting domestic persimmons and making persimmon pudding. While this old-timey fruit is labor intensive, it is well worth the effort. North Carolina's domestic persimmons have 2-6 watermelon-sized seeds for a fruit that is smaller than a quarter. They have a cap and a stem that need to be removed by hand. The local persimmons are of the astringent variety, which means they taste best after a frost, when they are sufficiently ripe. The above photo features the Asian variety and, while also astringent, amount of pulp per persimmon is much better than the domestic ones. If you want to make a commitment to edible yardening, the persimmon is a great tree to plant. The one above is thriving in Greensboro.
If you want to learn more about persimmons as well as sample persimmon dishes, we have the perfect festival for you. November 1st, just a few miles northwest of Greensboro, in Colfax, the Persimmon Festival will be held. On the historic Stafford farm, there will be an array of arts and crafts, live music, and plenty of persimmon items, from pulp to pudding, available for purchase. Here is an "Our State" article about persimmons in which Gene Stafford, host of the festival, is quoted. Hopefully, with the eat local movement, and with advocates like the Staffords, the persimmon will trend as a culinary treasure.
That's a fruit we don't see here at all- I don't even know if it is in the grocery stores.
Posted by: William Kendall | Tuesday, October 14, 2014 at 05:08 PM