Persimmons by Jason Spotswood After the field trip to the persimmon and avocado farm in Nambour, I had heaps of non-astringent persimmons to get through. We found that we were unable to utilise them all before they went soft and risked spoiling. So I started putting the soft persimmons in the freezer while their skin was still able to contain the soft insides. I froze them one layer at a time, only putting new ones to freeze on top of the previous ones when they had frozen completely. For the most part they have been able to maintain their shape and form while in the freezer (I still have persimmons in the freezer in November). Our freezer does not have automatic defrost, so I am not sure if prolonged exposure in a defrosting freezer would cause excessive freezer burn or not. I have not tasted any issues with freezer burn in my freezer. Most of the time I use the frozen persimmons in smoothies. I allow them to slightly thaw and then cut off the calyx and drop them into the blender. There are also other great recipes from the Custard Apple and Persimmon Recipe Book which can use the thawed persimmon pulp; such as Glazed Persimmon Biscuits, Persimmon Sherbet, or Persimmon Cream Pie. Here is my Smoothie recipe:
Persimmon Smoothie In a blender: 1 orange, 1 large or 2 small bananas, 1 whole soft persimmon, calyx removed Optional: add yogurt to taste. Add water or ice to make it more liquid. Ice is handy to use when the fruit is room temperature as it cools the drink down.
Autumn – Apply plenty of Phosphorous eg chicken manure. Harvest when fruit is fully coloured.