Picchettti persimmon tree ornamented with ripe fruit, photo Marie Cameron 2012.
The storms have past, stripping persimmon trees of all their leaves, leaving their fruit dangling naked and ripe for all to see. This tree at Picchetti tempts hiking visitors to wade through poison oak and blackberry brambles to see it they can pocket a few. Picking wild fruit is a primal urge my mother and father-in-law and son couldn’t pass up while on a family hike over Thanksgiving. While they didn’t harvest many (two actually) they were all the sweeter for the effort!
Persimmons are not only decorating trees all over the valley but hanging on gallery walls too! Here are two great works currently on exhibit at the Los Gatos Museums Gallery by member artists, Susan Elwart Hall (susanhallstudio.com) and Betty Turrentine McGuire.
Stages of Life oil painting by Susan Elwart Hall – Los Gatos Museums Gallery
Persimmons oil painting by Betty Turrentine McGuire – Los Gatos Museums Gallery
So, what to do with this abundance of persimmons? The Fuyu (above) can be eaten like an apple but with the softer Hachiya I like to make persimmon chutney which is especially delicious with duck!
- Persimmon Chutney:
- 1/4 c chopped onion
- 1/4 c apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 c sugar
- 1/4 c lemon juice
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1 tsp grated lemon peel
- 1 tsp grated ginger
- 6 peeled ripe Hachiya persimmons
- Reduce all ingredients over medium heat adding persimmons at the end.