Earlier in the fall, we dried apples. We slice the apples, sprinkle lemon juice over them and they dry overnight. We have a few bags left in the pantry. They were a nice surprise gift sent off to our daughter who is away at college.
This year is the first time we tried drying persimmons and we were pleased with the results. We were using the Fuyu persimmons, although I understand the Hachiya work as well. We have plenty of them on hand.
The persimmons don’t need to be pealed. We tried two methods of preparation: I diced them in cubes and my wife sliced them in strips.
We put them on racks in the American Harvester drier and they were done in less than eight hours. Certainly, the strips look better on the drying rack. You can also dry them on a cookie sheet in an oven set to a low temperature.
The dried strips and cubes each have their virtues. The cubes were maybe a little small, They stuck together as they dried. However, these bits are more like raisins. The strips are larger and have more flavor. Both make colorful toppings for salads and they’re too easy to eat as a snack. I intend to add them to breakfast cereal.
They can be stored in plastic bags once you’re sure they’re dry. Let them sit out for a day to air dry before bagging them.
