Persimmon Pie ~ simple ~ delicious ~ dare I say nutritious?
Persimmon Pie with date star decoration
Persimmon is a naturally sweet and highly alkaline seasonal fruit that is gaining in popularity. It’s full of fiber, and vitamins like C, A, E and many more. I am lucky enough to have a neighbor who has a huge Hachiya, or the acorn-shaped persimmon tree. This year they harvested over 300 lbs of persimmons, plenty to share.
Hachiya persimmons are astringent until they are super soft and fully ripe. This may require patience. They can be harvested unripe and gently turned and even massaged to assist the ripening process. When you have around 12 of them fully ripened, you are ready to make a pie. If you use the Fuyu or the squatty persimmons, they are less astringent and generally less sweet so you may want to consider adding additional dates. The Fuyu are more available in grocery stores and still should be fairly soft to use.
You will notice that this recipe uses no sugar. If the persimmons are fully ripe, they taste much like honey, and no sugar other than the dates is needed. Always taste the batter before you use it to make sure it is sweet enough for your palet!
Tools needed - pie dish, blender, food processor, measuring cups & spoons
Ingredients for pie filling
2 cups blended Hachiya, (or about 10-12) acorn-shaped persimmon (extremely soft and ripe for the sweetest taste and least astringency)
2 pitted dates
1 tsp Celtic Sea salt
1 heaping tsp fresh ground Ginger
1 heaping tsp of cinnamon
1 heaping tsp of fresh ground cardamom
1 TBS arrowroot
Flax egg - prepare 15 minutes ahead, 3 Tbs ground flax mixed with 9 TBS warm water
Ingredients for pie crust (or just buy one)
Shown here served with a lemon persimmon topping. To make just blend the whole very ripe Hachya persimmon with lemon juice and lemon rind to taste.
2 cups pecan halves
1 cups dates
1 TBS oil, olive or coconut
1 TBS Celtic Sea salt
crust Recipe ~ make first
Add the ingredients to a food processor and blend til fairly smooth
Press into a glass or ceramic pie tin, evenly around the sides and bottom
Pie recipe
Remove the stems from the persimmons, you leave the skins on as they contain many delicate nutrients. If the persimmons are fully soft and ripe, the skins are not astringent.
Add all ingredients for the pie filling to a blender and blend on high until whipped. Taste the batter, it should be smooth and sweet. If it is not sweet enough, add another date.
Bake at 400º for 10 minutes, then turn the oven to 350º and bake for about 35-40 more minutes. Stick a toothpick in the middle to see if it is done.
Let cool and serve with a creamy cashew ice cream or your favorite whipped cream!
A final note, if you have any leftover pie ingredients, add them to muffin tins and make tarts.