I am a jam fanatic! Now it’s out and you all know my weak side, my passion for the über sweet marmalade preservation. It’s in my blood and I believe in many Europeans heart. Imagine, breakfast with bread and butter but no jam! Yes, for sure we could always opt for some Nutritious honey, and well I admit I love honey as well, but seriously I can’t just have honey every day in the morning, often I go for the jam, because jams exist in many different variations. I love making jam and experimenting with new flavors and fruits as well, so obviously I had to come up with a Persimmon Lemon Jam recipe.
You will remember in my last weeks post, that I had mentioned, my newly found love for Persimmons by introducing you to my Persimmon Tart. Those unique, kind of odd fruits, are in season in Goa right now and the past few weeks I have been experimenting with new recipes. Soon, I realized that the fruit was good for making jam. When cut open a cracked ripe Persimmon, you will realize, besides the bright orange red color, that the fruit was left for us by nature, for making jam. It’s kind of shiny, jelly like but dense and not transparent, one could compare the texture to a Passion Fruit, just that it has some fine strings just like a mango and from outside it looks like a Tomato. Well, that’s how I perceive it!
Last time I used the very astringent Hachiya Persimmon only in the new Tart recipe, which is high in Tannin compared to the Fuyu (square flat) Kaki, however, this time I used both. Before coming up with this final recipe, I had tried cooking Hachiya and Fuyu Persimmon separately and my conclusion was that a mix of both will get you to the best result. In Goa both are available, but if you are living now somewhere else in the world, then be aware that different Persimmon types might contain more or even less amounts of tannin. While The Hachiya needs to be eaten only when naturally cracked, the Fuyu only requires to be red ripe. The first three flat & square Persimmons underneath are Fuyus, while the next 3 further down are Hachiyas.
There some more things I would like you, my dear reader, to know about making jam at home. Some people had asked a while back if they could reduce the Sugar amount in some of my jam recipe, my answer to that is no, simply because the recipes have been tested repeatedly before and the amount of sugar published as it is, is the right amount. Further, it is very important to work in a clean environment, with that I mean the sterilization of the jars as well. You can keep jams stored in a cool place for months if you follow the hygienic rules! If you don’t, then be prepared to deal with mold on your jam. You might have realized that some of my jam recipes don’t include Pectin, that is mostly the case because Pectin isn’t available here in Goa (at least not where I live) so instead of making my own, I opt to choose Pectin rich fruit ingredients which will help in preserving and setting the jam. Here, in this recipe I chose to add Lemon rind. That solves the problem well!
Some more Jam recipe Ideas…
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Last month for the first time in my life I made jam. This post is so useful and I will bookmark the recipe. What type of alcohol do you use for the lids (any type? …Grappa!!)
lol Grappa. I just use the alcohol to disinfect it further after sterilizing the jars, so I just drop a few vodka/White Rum drops inside the lid before closing it. I discard excess alcohol if any. You can try it out with grappa, we might gain some knowledge and ideas like that Rita. =)
Of course not, bread and butter with no jam just won’t be the same at all. I love that persimmons are in season. At our home they never make it to the kitchen we eat them as is. Re: jams I got the same problem with many recipes I see, too much sugar, but I know it is necessary, hence my sometimes failures as I don’t put enough sugar. I just can’t bring myself to do so. Your jar in the last shot with jam looks spectacular!
Thanks Shullie, glad you agree! =) I think so I heard somewhere that there is a Persimmon type that has no tannin at all, kind of laboratory made, some hybrid type. I like them raw sometimes, but my husband doesn’t so much, he prefers them cooked in some way. =)
I haven’t tried persimmon yet, but this recipe sure makes me want to! I think we have the fuyu variety here. xx
Barbara let me know how you lile the fruit, I love to hear other opinions!
Mmmm I’m in love with persimmon
would love to try this!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Uru give it a shot, I bet you ll go all crazy for the jam, because you can you it then in your pastries.
wow.. just delicious.. and those step-wise pictures are so helpful.
=) If you need any help while recreating the recipe, just leave me a message!
I can find persimmon pulp around here in the autumn…I really need to buy some and give it a taste! I love jam and yours is so vibrant and lovely…I’m sure it would be wonderful on my morning toast
hm… I am honestly not sure if I should encourage tin pulp Liz, we don’t have these kind of things here and we even tend to cook very rarely with tinned fruits and veg products, so my experience it near to zero in that direction. Well, you can always try it out if there is no other option and if you are craving it so badly. Feel free to let me know how you fared while using pulp.
I love that you are jam fanatic, helps me get new fun jam recipe ideas:-) This flavor combo with lemon sounds delicious! Hugs, Terra
Glad I was of any help Terra. There will surely be one kind of jam flavor that will grab your fancy.
So you are on a persimmon spree, another recipe of the same..making me J..I don’t get to see any here
Lovely color!
Maybe because its more of a tropical fruit. I could send you some Sanjeeta, but I am not sure if they would reach whole. lol Let me know in case, before the season is over!
I love a good jam too Helene. I’ve never tried persimmons before and it’s a fruit I’ve long wanted to try.
I think so you should be able to get it there in down under, thats what some people were telling me. All the best my friend!
I usually make all of my jam around Christmas time. This is when all of our berries are pretty cheap. This looks wickedly good!
Now, that can only be because you are in Australia! lol we make them in Europe around end of august or even july when the blueberries are ripe to be picked in the forest. Here in goa, there is always one fruit season for a couple of weeks and then another comes up, that goes on like that the whole year. Surely more comfortable without winter, snow and freezing ice. =)
I adore homemade jams!!! They retain the tartness or the flavor of the fruit its made of & are good looking too!!Unlike store bought ones which have a plain sugary taste in each bite..Our sunday morning breakfast is reserved for bread, butter & jam!! Persimmon lemon jam looks mighty yumm!!! Hopefully I will get to taste atleast a spoonful when I do visit Goa!!
So when are you coming now to goa, still waiting to mett up with you! =P
Oh and I agree in all what you said. The first jam I ever bought was in India and it wasn’t dabur but some cheap company. That was the biggest disappointment in my life. I should have known it when I bought that plastic thing and somebody should have explained me back then, that the insects in this country are mad and find any food anywhere! ^.^
it just looks delicious! sweet and nutty!
thank you =)
Why nutty?
You have found another jam lover and jam maker here! For years I made batches of jam, now I make one jar at a time and with no pectin. With the right proportions and some high pectin fruit it is possible as you well know. I still haven’t seen persimmons in our markets yet, but when I do, you have given me a great line up of recipes including this beautiful and delicious looking jam!
Yay I had a feeling that we shared the same blood. ^.^
Have you tried using green apples as pectin substitution? I was wondering the other day but I never got the chance to try it since we dont gt green apples here. Unfortunatly the season for collecting them is over as well and my parents used them all up for pressing apple juice, otherwise I would have shared the idea with my mum.
I think so there are a couple of different Persimmon types out there. I haven’t seen or tasted the other ones, so in case you cook with an other type, make sure to taste and adjust the ingredients amount.
Persimmon jam is wonderful – I think my favorite way to eat this fruit. Great tips on making jam. I haven’t made any in ages, but really should again. Great post – thanks.
Thank you John *blush* XD
This is my real first time seeing jam out of persimmons! It has great nutritious values and my mom always encouraged me to eat more of this fruit while growing up. In fact I grabbed some last time I shopped too. Such a wonderful treat to make jam out of it!
Oh wow Nami, I had read online that it was a typical Japanese fruit, but I wasn’t aware that it was nutritious to that extend and I remember the posts on your blog with your mum, so I know she will be 100% right. I need to research even more now! =)
Helene I really love the title of your blog and jam oops it reminds me I haven’t even posted one as yet
Thank you thats sweet
lol Maria, but you got some chutney recipes going on on your page, that equals it out, no?
Persimmon jam?!? I could see myself slathering it on everything!!!!
Hi Helene, this is the best blog I have seen about Persimmons!
I have a whole bunch of Fuyu persimmons that I am about to make jam with. I have made them before with lots of lemon rind to get them to set, but am interested in your recipe as sometimes the lemon flavour in my recipe was too overpowering.
When you tested both the Fuyus and Hachiyas separately, did you find that the Fuyus had enough pectin to set properly?
Ie. Would you recommend using more lemon rind than in your recipe if only using Fuyus?
thanks very much!
Hi Josie!
thank you, your words are sweet and so kind. =)
About the jam,…
The Fuyus are quite like the hachiyas, when you compare the setting points. When I had tried it with the Fuyu I had added a bit more lemon rind, because looking at the hachiya ones, I had the feeling the hachiya were more shiny, meaning they would set quicker and better and so wouldn’t need extra efforts to make them set. If you have the big European Italian lemons at hand then just add the zest rind of one big lemon instead of half a lemon as I wrote it in this recipe. Just to make sure that it will set well!
The recipe above doesn’t contain too much lemon so the taste is melting into the Persimmon’s flavor. Even if you add some more zest as mentioned earlier, the lemon shouldn’t over power the persimmons character. =)
I am curious what your recipe looks like, care to share?
Hi Helene,
I’m so sorry I’ve left this so long to share my recipe with you. I had many boxes of persimmons to get through so I was doing bulk 4-5kg batches with different parameters (ratios of 2c fruit:1c sugar etc. ). So I have 2 pages of records of my different ratios, and at some stage I switched from doing cups to weighing it. So now I have to figure out how to get a recipe from that!
I just wanted to let you know I haven’t forgotten…
Okaaaayy … maybe I’m the odd one out here, liking plain ol’ bread and butter without jam. I do like the occasional jam but not one with a sweet tooth. BUT … with capitals everywhere … I do love exotic jams! This one has got my attention, Helene. Persimmon is a fruit I love when not too ripe, still crunchy and of course the hubby has to be difficult and prefer the really ripe ones when it’s all soft and mushy
I do believe he’s going to love this! He’s the one with the sweet tooth. I’ve been trying out jams made with different fruits too, esp when there’s a lot of them and we just can’t finish them. So, instead of waiting for them to rot … we jam it!
Oh, and I’ve only seen Fuyus here. Or maybe I’ve seen hachiyas but thought they were tomatoes … duh. Going to go stare at the tomato looking things more carefully now…
Yeesh … I meant, I’m not one with a sweet tooth … not the jam. Heh.
Hello, my name is Tanja and I am a jam fanatic… too
I haven’t tried persimmon yet, if I find some at the Naschmarkt, I would love to try it out! A delicious looking jam, nom nom!!
I have recently exhausted my Fuyu supply for the season. Any chance the recipe would turn out with only Hachiyas?
I have a hachiya tree in my yard that OVERFLOWS with fruit every year. Do you think this would turn out without the fuyus?
A couple of years ago I tried to make a jelly with the pulp from the hachiyas, but it turned out highly astringent.
Somewhere I read that cooking reactivates the tannins in the hachiyas and that baking soda counteracts that effect. Yours didn’t turn out astringent?
Hi Vanessa!
Yes I believe it should turn out, but maybe try it out with a small quantity first. I don’t know how your Hachiyas taste like at your side of the world but ours here are extremely astringent if they are not properly ripened. As I mentioned in the post, it is vital that you allow the fruit to ripen to the max, so that the astringent taste dissapears. I mean, mine was really mushy but not spoiled (I know its a fine line). I removed the seed case as well and that in my opinion makes a good jam as well. Sorry I can’t tell you about the Baking soda effect, we don’t get that here in Goa and I hadn’t seen that anywhere in my research online either.
Mine was really sweet and no astringent taste. I gave it to test to 5 people and they didn’t taste any astringent flavors.
Hope that helps!
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