Hoshigaki: The Art of Drying Persimmons

Last blog post, I wrote about the gift of persimmons with a recipe for persimmon mousse and a smoothie.

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Last web log post I wrote about the gift of persimmons with a recipe for persimmon mousse and a smoothie . My daughter Lucie has a persimmon tree diagram in her backyard and after harvesting a amount of them , decided to keep up them by drying . ascertain out the beauty of this ancient food conservation technique … and art form ! These fruits are peeled and then hang up by their stems and massaged every few Clarence Day as they dry , which takes about two months . This is a lying-in of dedication and love .

When Lucie sent me the photos of her ruined product , I was astonished at the beauty of this technique and the lead Zen - like dried persimmon . Truly , this is an example of food as artistry . Moreover , I was especially curious as tohow they tasted . So after she and her partner Matt had sampled them she reported back that “ The hoshigaki are quite good – rich and chewy , reminiscent of Turkish Delight !

When she offered to portion out some of the precious hoshigaki with me , I was captivated and tell her that really , I needed only one and that I would share it with the other fellowship member by slit it into thin composition and certainly savor every bit . So today , I received a modest precedence mail box which contained not one … there werefour , perfectly dry persimmon tree wrapped carefully in house of cards wrap with their base still intact ! Although I desire to feed one immediately , I knew that I should wait until after supper . For me , part of savouring , is the anticipation of something new and delicious to smell and taste – and I love make a ceremonial of preparing nutrient for taste .

After supper was over and the kitchen was cleaned up , I decided to smack the hoshigaki alone … that is by myself . That way , I could concentrate on reallytastingthem . So I carefully unwrapped them and placed them on a bamboo cutting board so that I could take a few photo before consume them . I would estimate that the four dry out fruits weighed about 3/4 to nearly a pound ; they were heavy and heavy . I was sort of surprised that they did not have much olfactory property . They had a faint fruity smell like that of a dried apricot or fig , however it was very mild .

After admire them , I selected one of the hoshigaki to cut and used a sharp-worded knife and sliced about one-half of it , crosswise , into 1/4 - inch slices . I inhaled the aroma of the sheer fruit and it did have more scent than the whole fruit , though not a lot .

Being a relish fanatic , I often taste intellectual nourishment with my optic conclude . It enhance my sensational experience and I think it help one to focus more on the senses of olfactory property and preference . I am waxing poetical ; I tune up in to my olfactory and taste buds and described my experience in great point here … so be prepared …

First , biting into the slice of dried persimmon , the textural flavor was like that of a gumdrop , firm and a bit rubbery , by all odds chewy . The hoshigaki is soft on the inside than on the exterior , so the internal fruit buffer in the warmth and moisture of the mouth and the outer skin stays a scrap chewy . idea of dried apricot , dried peaches and dates deluge my taste retentivity , emphatically fruity … though more than just that … ambrosian comes to mind .

When tasting anything , we get initial strong or typical flavors first , and then secondary flavors , then subtle ones and perhaps just nuances . With further samplings , I savour maple sirup with hints of sweet , caramel … the latter brought the smell and discernment of hot caramel maize from the boardwalk to idea along with the hard , blood-red , candylike glaze on a sugarcoat apple . Caramelized bread . Then I got a abbreviated suggestion of apple ( perhaps the confect orchard apple tree ? ) though rather like applesauce ; then sweet white potato flavor , not the grain .

Besides all of these flavors , there is a tidy sum of texture , or mouth feel go on – and not just soft and chewy . There is the slightest hint of chalkiness , which one gets from cornstarch and powdered refined sugar like that of the cornstarch on the outside of a marshmallow or the powdered sugar on Turkish Delight . Indeed hoshigaki is reminiscent of Turkish Delight which is a confection have a go at it in Greece calledloukoumiand is made from fruit , flower essences and mastic ( which is a botanical substance used for gelling ) . I actually lead to a manufacturing plant that made it when I was in Greece . They made a firm , yield jelly flavour with pink wine or orange peak waters , to which they sometimes add ball , and then it firms up and is cut into straight or diamond flesh , which are then dredged in powdered kale – thus the law of similarity .

There is another mouthfeel , that is just scantily there , and that is a slight astringency of teatime leaves ( Camellia sinensis ) . Fresh persimmons have this too – and if they are not mature – it can be consuming . This is not an objectionable observation ; I like afternoon tea . The trace of tea made me think about the floral subtlety and after some more relishing and thought , I comprehend a taste of how honeysuckle smack .

Hoshigaki has the inimitable flavour of ripe persimmon , center . It is magic in the mouth . An aery , somewhat rare , and rather cosset delicacy . give thanks you Lucie and Matt for preparing and partake in these unique and precious fruits of the earth with me .

For more info , here are two links about hoshigaki . Hoshigaki can be ordain from the second informant for about $ 44 a pound ( with 6 to 10 fruits per Irish punt ) and impertinent persimmons can also be order in time of year .

https://www.rootsimple.com/2012/11/how-to-make-hoshigaki-dried-persimmons/

https://www.otoworchard.com/hoshigaki.html

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Hachiya persimmons ripening on Lucie and Matt’s tree in California. Click on other pix to enlarge and read captions.Photo/Illustration: Lucie Sargent

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