freezing astringent persimmon pulp: myth? how to use?

habitat_gardener · December 30, 2016

Does anyone have direct experience freezing hachiya persimmons (the ones that are astringent when firm)? If so, how did you use them?

I helped pick persimmons with a local fruit-harvesting-for-food-banks group last month and took home buckets of damaged fruit to compost or salvage. I dehydrated a bunch of the less-damaged firm fruit. With the rapidly declining remainder, I culled the ones that were rotting, cut away the damaged parts of softening fruits, and scooped out the intact but unripe pulp. I ended up being able to salvage far more than I anticipated, so the freezer is now half full of persimmon pulp!

Now the question is, what do I do with it? And is it safe to use? Although one of the volunteers assured me that freezing unripe hachiyas is a great way to bypass the tannins, I did a bit of internet research and found a range of advice. Maybe ok for baking? But what about ice cream making, or eating as is (after thawing)?

Or perhaps I should just dehydrate it all...a messy operation with defrosted slurries of persimmon!

December 30, 2016	#1
habitat_gardener Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: California Central Valley Posts: 2,540	freezing astringent persimmon pulp: myth? how to use? Does anyone have direct experience freezing hachiya persimmons (the ones that are astringent when firm)? If so, how did you use them? I helped pick persimmons with a local fruit-harvesting-for-food-banks group last month and took home buckets of damaged fruit to compost or salvage. I dehydrated a bunch of the less-damaged firm fruit. With the rapidly declining remainder, I culled the ones that were rotting, cut away the damaged parts of softening fruits, and scooped out the intact but unripe pulp. I ended up being able to salvage far more than I anticipated, so the freezer is now half full of persimmon pulp! Now the question is, what do I do with it? And is it safe to use? Although one of the volunteers assured me that freezing unripe hachiyas is a great way to bypass the tannins, I did a bit of internet research and found a range of advice. Maybe ok for baking? But what about ice cream making, or eating as is (after thawing)? Or perhaps I should just dehydrate it all...a messy operation with defrosted slurries of persimmon!