Happy New Year, friends! I hope your celebrations last night were full of delight. Scott and I rang in the new year with pizza, champagne and a few favorite people (including 20-month-old twins who entertained us by dancing to the Nutcracker Suite).
I didn’t intend to go entirely quiet over the last week, but I so wanted to relish my last couple days in Portland with my parents. When I landed in Philadelphia on Wednesday morning, it just felt right to continue the break. It’s been a lovely thing to take a little time away from this space, to think about how I want to approach it in 2012.
I plan to continue to post new recipes, including more pressure canner tutorials, small batch preserves and ways to get your jams, chutneys and sauces out of their jars and onto the table.
You’ll see more foods in jars made by other people. Though it’s always my goal to help inspire people to head for their own kitchens, there’s also a world of delicious foods in jars out there being made by truly talented folks. I want to occasionally showcase them.
There will also be posts about cookbooks, space for questions and answers and some regular video features. I’m also going to be out and about a bit over the spring and summer to help promote my cookbook, so I’ll be posting about any and all opportunities to come and spend a bit of time with me.
Now, about that recipe. While I was out in Portland, my mom and I came across a persimmon tree. It was in someone’s yard, bursting with fruit and covered with birds. We stood there for a moment, pondering the ethics of the situation, when a car pulled into the house’s driveway. We asked about picking a few and the owner held out an open grocery bag and simply said, “take what you want.”
Not wanting to be greedy, we took just three of the perfect fuyu persimmons from his bag and said thanks. We brought them home and proceeded to let them sit around for nearly a week. On the morning of Christmas Eve, my mom commented that I either needed to make something with them or throw them out. And so, I made a small batch of chutney with our three foraged persimmons and two bruised pears that had been rolling around the fridge.
After cutting away the bad spots and chopping them finely, I combined the pears and persimmons with half of a finely chopped red onion, 1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar, 1 cup apple cider vinegar, 2 tablespoons grated ginger, 2 tablespoons raisins, 1 teaspoon sea salt and 1/2 teaspoon allspice in a wide, heavy-bottomed pot.
Then it was just a matter of letting the mixture cook down for 30-45 minutes over medium-high heat. As you simmer the chutney, taste it and adjust the sugar, spices and salt. Should you like a bit of heat in your chutney, add a pinch of red chili flakes or smidgen of cayenne pepper. The chutney is finished when the persimmon skins are tender and it doesn’t look at all watery.
My batch filled three half-pint jars with just a bit leftover to eat immediately with cheese. It can be processed in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes, or just kept in the fridge for regular eating. This time of year, when we rely more heavily on braises, stews and soups, it’s nice to have something within easy reach that can add a burst of bright flavor. I left all that I made back in Portland and am hoping to find a few inexpensive persimmons in Philly to make another batch.
I’m so grateful to find your recipe for Persimmon & Pear Chutney that also includes processing it! I have never preserved food so this will be my first attempt (fingers crossed). I also really appreciate your detailed explanations for the processing for newbies like me. I have approximately 200 persimmons that I will be drying into chips, making jam and hopefully chutney. If you lived closer (I’m on Long Island) I would invite you to come FILL your grocery bag (I’m guessing there would be a few new great recipes to come out of it)
I’m so glad this recipe is helpful! And I wish I was closer, as I’d totally take you up on the persimmon offer! 🙂
I just came across this recipe. A neighbor gave us around two dozen Fuyu persimmons Could I use just persimmons for the chutney? Also, as the recipe is fairly old, any changes in ingredients or processing time etc?
This recipe was written for Fuyu persimmons, so it should work perfectly. I’d probably increase the processing time to 15 minutes for half pints, but otherwise it should be fine. With a full cup of apple cider vinegar, there’s plenty of acid. I hope you enjoy it!
I know this is old, but I’m hoping you check new comments! Would this chutney work with Hachiya persimmons?
This recipe only works well with Fuyu persimmons. Hachiya persimmons need to be nearly rotten before they’re good to use.
Quick question from someone who is new to the whole jams and chutneys thing; do the pears need to be peeled, or do they go in with the skin on too? This looks and sounds amazing, I can’t wait to try it! 🙂
They go in with the skin! No need to peel!
So goddess of the boiling water bath (just in case you were looking for a new tagline … mine is now “Pie does not languish in this house.”) … where do persimmons fall in the acid range? The National Center for Home Food Preservation site only talks about freezing …
According to this reference sheet, they range from 4.2-4.7, so they can either be safe or just a little bit too low in acid. I treat them the same way I do figs and asian pears.
I did this recipe with papaya instead of pears and it was excellent!!!
Until this week when I had 3 persimmons delivered in my Farmer’s Coop box I had no idea what a persimmon was. So I came to your website as they started to ripen hoping for some idea of what to do. I found this recipe and was so happy when I realized I also had some pears rolling around in my fridge. I just made this chutney and can’t wait to share it with friends. Thank you so much for sharing your wisdom. I came from a home of instant potatoes and fish sticks so in many ways you are acting as a “mother” to me in the kitchen.
In South Dakota, we get something called Bountiful Baskets. Its a big basket with fruits and veggies. Well this time I got 9 persimmons and a papaya. So I used them in this recipe (tripled) and it was fantastic! THANKS!!!
Fuyus are one of my two favorite fruits. Beautiful to look at. Crunchy to eat. Last year a generous friend gave me so many persimmons that I had to resort to peeling, dicing and freezing half of them. They were perfect when I tweaked an online recipe for Apple Bacon Chutney and created the most luscious Bacon Persimmon Chutney. Next time I make a batch, I think that I will throw in a handful of cranberries for some zing!
This looks gorgeous! I’m on a big persimmon kick myself, I can’t wait to try it in a chutney!
My grandfather has a persimmon tree at his home in Queens, NY. I ate a bunch and was offered a bunch but I did not know how to preserve it. I am going to keep this recipe for next year.
The 2 top pictures are heavenly. I have never used persimmon but this recipe really inspires me. I often see these fruits rotting away in the shop.
I am a sucker for chutneys. A sucker. Plus: allspice! This one is going on the list. Great way to start 2012, Marisa!
Happy new year! To a wonderful year of preserving, cooking and eating! P.S. I have a very prolific fuyu persimmon tree and will put this to use next year (my fuyus come to bear in November and have all been plucked clean by now!)
I would recommend pointing out the distinction between the two types of persimmons we have in the states. The persimmons you are using are known as Fuyu persimmons, they can be eaten while still fairly hard and can be chopped as for this recipe. Hachiya persimmons on the other hand, are heart shaped and must be extremely soft or the tannins in them will be far too astringent for consuming. Also, from a few blogs I’ve read and my own experience, Hachiya persimmons shouldn’t be cooked above the boiling point, as that also releases bitter tannins.
I’ve been reading your blog for quite a while and my boyfriend got me a canning set for Christmas. I’m super excited about trying it out, but intimidated at the same time. I’ll be turning to your blog for help and inspiration. I can’t wait for your book to come out!
I just used a bunch of persimmons that were about to be thrown away to make persimmon bread. Its delicious, but I’m wishing the persimmons were still around so I could make chutney.
Happy New Year! Love the recipe.
x
Sounds like the answer to my dilemma of what to do my overload of persimmons…Thank you.
BTW, I use your site constantly. I cook professionally, specifically in a small British gastropub, and have used my home-made preserves, chutneys and pickles (often recipes from your site) in my daily specials – my customers love them! So what was a summer project to amuse myself when the pub was slow has turned into a really big deal now. Can’t wait for next summer! And OMG, I am so ready to take on pressure canning, too!
Thank you, thank you!!!
Happy New Year!
I had a huge fig tree in my backyard in Portland and people frequently stopped by to ask if they could pick some. I’m not a huge fan of figs and there were so many; I was happy to share. It was always a nice surprise to find a box of blackberries or a jar of fig jam on my front porch in return.
People are awesome. I hope to find more of that awesome in the coming year.
It would also be great with Stilton.
Hi! This would be awesome with Brie, or a nice blue.
I would even be tempted to try it with a smoked Gouda.
Thanks for the recipe, (I can’t take my chutneys too spicey).
Wishing you and yours a New Year filled with blessings.
Charlie
So glad you enjoyed your break! I’m a Salem girl so I love hearing about when you are in Portland, hopefully you will have a book signing in the summer and I will get to come (I got your book pre-ordered for Christmas 🙂 ) I also received the 4th burner pot and am looking forward to canning some small batches this summer! Do you worry about putting 3 half-pints in it? Do they shake around and ever break? I’m also excited to hear about pressure canning, I have one but haven’t used it much.
Happy New Year! I’ll really be looking forward to your tutorials on pressure canning. For some reason that has intimidated me beyond belief. There are so many more things I can do once I conquer pressure canning!
Happy New Year! I can’t wait to see what 2012 holds for this space. xox
I love chutney’s! You can do so much with them! Happy 2012!! 🙂
This is so timely! I had purchased a box of 6 persimmons at Costco nearly two weeks ago, they have been ripening slowly. I planned to make a Persimmon Pudding Bread and then try my hand at some apple and persimmon chutney. I really like the look of this combo of spices! Thanks once again for inspiration 🙂