As promised! I found the sugar proportions for this recipe on a website which claimed that Hachiya persimmons are bad for jam-making because heating them brings back the tannins (tannicity?). I had a dozen Hachiyas in the other room, so I took the sugar-to-fruit proportions but not the advice. The result: decidedly good!
6 smallish Hachiya persimmons - jelly soft (about 2.25 cups)
3/4c sugar
juice of one lemon
splash of vanilla extract
dash of cinnamon
This was the easiest jam I've made yet.
First, stick a small plate in the freezer (do this in advance if you remember). Scoop out the persimmon pulp using Heather's spoon method (see previous post), and put in a pan with the other ingredients. Turn on med-high heat, meanwhile get your jars boiling in another pot. Once the persimmon pulp mix comes to a boil, stir constantly and keep the heat high for about ten minutes, or until the mix has expanded and shrunk back. When it seems to be getting nice and thick, grab your frozen plate and put a drop of the jam onto it, then turn the plate sideways: if the drop dribbles, put the plate back in the freezer keep boiling. Do this until the drop stays set on the plate when tilted, it might take a few tries and some extra cooking time. My mix took about 10 minutes of rapid boiling to get a good set. Pour the mix into your hot, boiled jars, screw the lids on reasonably tight and place them upside-down to cool. This recipe filled two 8-oz jars, plus a little extra for immediate snacking.
The tannic taste does come back a little bit when these persimmons are heated, but the result is smooth and sweet and not harsh at all. Rather than having a harsh stringent aftertaste, the jam has a mild tannic quality throughout. That said, it's a bit of a stretch to call it a tannic flavor though, and it really balances the sugar well. The cinnamon is a nice accent, although the vanilla does not shine through. Adding the vanilla at the end (after cooking) would protect that flavor a bit more.
Delicious!
6 comments:
um, sounds good... can i come over with a loaf of whole wheat bread? keep on rockin' in the jam world, katrina! ::raises fist::
it turned out great !! in fact i am making more..the jars seemed to seal perfectly with your directions...just wondering if i should do a hot water bath on them as well??
That is great!
The water bath is entirely up to you... If you're worried about toxins like botulism, it's not a bad idea. I like to live on the edge so if I'm going to use the jam within a couple months I don't usually bother to boil the filled jars. If I'm giving it as a gift, or want it to keep longer, or want to share it with someone who's pregnant, for example - I'd give it a boil. It's one of those things that seems like such an extra hassle but is actually ridiculously easy.
Kitchen Science!
Was so glad to happen upon your blog and post on hachiya persimmon jam. Although I found your persimmon info and recipe after I had finally made my own I was reassured when I read the elements in your recipe. I made a similar flavor profile for recipe.
Thanks for the report and info & keep on giving us great research!
I just cooked a batch and the astringency was like raw hachiyas. So far it's not looking good cooked, but I'll wait for it to cool and then try it on some toast. Time to hope and pray.
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