How to Make Dried Persimmons

Bitter persimmons transformed into sweet ones — let's make dried persimmons.

The greengrocer I pass now and then had astringent persimmons in, so I decided to dry some.

My son had been reading a picture book called "The Great Persimmon Transformation", which made the timing rather good.

Peel them, then tie the stems to either end of a length of string. Once tied, dip the fruit in boiling water for five to ten seconds to sterilise it. That keeps mould from taking hold.

Then hang them under the eaves, somewhere sunny with good airflow. After a few days the fruit shrinks and softens a little; from then on, squeeze them gently now and again. That gives you soft, sweet dried persimmons.

Depending on the size of the fruit, where you hang them and how firm you like them, they are ready in seven to ten days.