Persimmon Chutney
I have also made this persimmon chutney with apples or pears using lemon or lime juice. Personally, I prefer lime juice. The jury is out on whether to use apples or pears, so it is really a matter of your taste. The pears should be firm. For my last batch, I used golden delicious apples. Instead of dried cranberries, you can substitute dried blueberries. The chutney develops its full flavor after a couple of days in the fridge.
Ingredients:
Makes about 4 cups of chutney 4-5 Hayicha persimmons (enough for 2 cups of blended pulp) 4-5 limes (enough to make ½ cup juice) 3 smallish apples of your choice (about 2 scant cups) 1 red pepper (about 1 cup chopped) ½ cup sugar ¼ cup golden raisins ¼ cup dried cranberries 1 small jalapeño pepper (seeded and finely chopped) 1 ½ TBS lime zest 3 inches fresh ginger ½ tsp salt ½ tsp pepper a splash of white balsamic vinegar |
Directions:
To prepare the persimmons, slice off the top, peel and squeeze them into a food processor or blender removing the black seeds. Blend them with some lemon juice and then put them in a container with a lid. This can be done ahead of time and will keep in the fridge for a couple of days. Grate the limes to get 1½ TBS of zest, then squeeze the limes to get ½ cup of juice. Peel the ginger and chop it into small pieces, the smaller the better. Peel and core the apples, and cut them into ½-inch diced pieces. Core and seed the bell pepper, and cut it into ½-inch sized pieces. Cut the jalapeño in half, take the seeds out and chop finely. A word of caution: don’t touch your face while doing this. Combine the lime juice, zest, ginger, and sugar in a medium- sized pot and bring it to a boil. Add the raisins, cranberries, peppers and jalapeños and simmer for 3-4 minutes, adding the apples. Continue to cook for another three minutes or until the apples start to soften, but are not mushy. Add the persimmon pulp and bring it to a boil and simmer for another couple of minutes. Season with salt and fresh ground pepper. Add a splash of white balsamic vinegar. Put into jars with a lid and refrigerate. Guten Appetit! recipe by © Sunnycovechef |