How to Make Honey Persimmon Jelly

jeannegrunert Member
By Jeanne Grunert
User-Submitted Article
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Persimmons  
Taste Good After a Frost
Persimmons Taste Good After a Frost
Morguefile

Persimmons are small, orange-purple fruits that grow on trees throughout the United States. You can often find persimmons growing wild along fence lines in rural areas or you can purchase and raise persimmons yourself in the home orchard or garden from nursery stock. Persimmons are not usually carried in the supermarket. They must be picked when ripe and after the first frost and do not transport well. If you have access to fresh persimmons and you're wondering what to do with all the fruit, here's an easy recipe for a honey sweetened persimmon jelly or jam that takes very few ingredients to make. Cook up a batch of persimmon jelly and preserve it in half pint jars using a water bath canner. It will quickly become a fall ritual you'll look forward to, along with this tasty jelly!


Instructions


Things You'll Need:

  • 70 ripe persimmons
  • Half cup of honey
  • 2 cups of water
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 envelope fruit pectin
  • Heavy 8 quart saucepan
  • Potato masher
  • Strainer
  • Water bath canner and pint or half pint jars with new lids, if canning the jelly to eat later. If not, all you need is a container to store the final jelly.
  1. Step 1

    Inspect all the persimmons very carefully. Discard any that even hint at not being fully ripe. Just one unripe persimmon will ruin the entire batch of jelly. Wash jars thoroughly, and place them in a pot of hot water. If you plan to can the jelly, start heating up the hot water bath canner and follow the directions that come with your canner. Processing time for persimmon jelly is about the same as peach jam or jelly.

  2. Step 2

    Wash and slice off the blossom end of the persimmon. The blossom end has a dimple in it. Place the persimmons and water into a heavy sauce pan. Heat until boiling.

  3. Step 3

    Remove the mixture from heat. Using a manual (hand held) potato masher, mash the persimmons and water until you have a soup pulp. Return the mix to the stove and boil for 10 minutes.

  4. Step 4

    At the end of ten minutes, remove the mixture from the stove top. Very carefully, push the mixture through a strainer and save the liquid that comes through. Check to make sure that every seed is removed. The seeds are big and black or brown so they are easy to spot. It's okay if some skin gets through to the liquid. At this stage, let is cool a bit and taste it. If it's got a bitter, acrid taste, throw it out - a bad persimmon got into the mix. If it tastes sweet and a bit like apricots, proceed to the next step.

  5. Step 5

    Place the liquid into the sauce pan again. Return it to a boil. As the mixture is heating, stir in the lemon juice and one envelope of fruit pectin. Stir constantly at this stage to prevent scalding.

  6. Step 6

    When mixture boils, slowly stir in the honey until it's dissolved. Boil for approximately two more minutes. Use a "jelly test" to tell if it is done. Take a small plate, and place a dime sized drop of jelly on the plate. Place the plate into the freezer for a minute or two. Remove the plate and shake it. If it has turned into jelly or is solid, the mix is ready to be poured into jars and it is done. If it's still liquid, keep boiling and repeat the test until it firms into jelly.

  7. Step 7

    Remove the final mixture from heat and pour into prepared mason jars for storage. If using a hot water bath canner, now's the time to do the canning steps and process the jelly for proper storage. If you are not using a canner, place the tops on the jars and refrigerate for use. Jelly should keep for about a month in the refrigerator. Enjoy!


    Tips & Warnings

    When you slice the blossom ends off, touch each one to your tongue before discarding. If it's got the biting, acrid taste, throw that persimmon out - it's not ripe.

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