Persimmon Chutney Recipe

Persimmon Chutney

It's that time of year when we're all wondering what to do with those beautiful burnt-orange globes hanging from trees in which their leaves turn the most beautiful copper and gold.  The persimmon is the long mis-trusted fruit, and yit seems you either love them or hate them. Their taste may be acquired, and the consistency can be either gritty, or slimy.  How's that for an appealing opener for a recipe!  Trust me though, this Chutney will become a staple recipe for you!

This recipe is made from one of two different Japanese cultivars grown in the US, the Fuyu.  The Fuyu persimmon is a nice persimmon to make the chutney with because you can use this variety when it is still firm.  It is the only persimmon you'll see at the market that looks more flattened than the typical persimmons.  The other Japanese cultivar, the Hachiya, is more elongated in appearance and requires it's consumption only when it's very ripe and soft, therefore not the best for a good chutney that requires the fruit to have some 'body' to hold up for a nice consistency for a chutney. 

I picked my fruit for this recipe at the mid-stage, meaning starting to show color.  If I waited any longer, every bird in the neighborhood would have gorged themselves and left me with nothing!  So, I had to harvest a bit young but I kept them in a cool spot for a couple of days and they ripened up a bit more--to perfection actually.  They were all still firm but starting to give a little at the finger push test.

 For the recipe, you'll need;

6 lb firm Fuyu persimmons, peeled, seeded, and chopped

1 lb Anjou or Barlett Pears, seeded and chopped

1 lb Green Apples, seeded and chopped

1 medium red onion, chopped

2" piece of ginger, peeled and grated

1 c. raisins

1 1/2 c. brown sugar

2/3 c. honey

1 c. apple cider vinegar

1 c. dry white wine

6 tbsp. lemon juice

2 tbsp. mustard seeds

2 tbsp. coriander seeds

1/2 tsp. garam masala

1/2 tsp. curry powder

1 tsp. red pepper flakes

Salt to taste

Combine all ingredients in a large stock pot and bring to boil; reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring often until chutney is thick and syrupy, about an hour.  Divide finished chutney among prepared half  pint jars. Process jars in boiling water bath canner for 15 minutes.

Yield:  makes 11-12 half pints

I consider packaging a very important part of the process and falls into my 'wine-crafting' category.  Meaning...I love to pour a nice red and take my time packaging up my jars and making them a beautiful presentation for gifting.  

Have fun!