Harvesting persimmons is always fun followed by a long pause and a “now what?” It’s amazing how few persimmon recipes I have. When I ask people for their favorite recipes, more often than not they ask me what a persimmon is. We have a Fuyu persimmon tree in our care, and this year my husband picked 63 POUNDS of persimmons and brought them all indoors in plastic bags. Why not leave them on the tree for a while? Well I’ll tell you why not. PIE.
This is a great recipe because it’s straightforward, tasty, and perfect for using up persimmons too mushy to eat.
Ingredients
2 9-inch pie crusts. (I used the frozen crust from Trader Joe’s– They taste like homemade- seriously.)
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups half-and-half cream
1 cup persimmon pulp
1 crisp persimmon, chopped
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F
Combine eggs, cinnamon, sugar, salt, cream, persimmon pulp, persimmon chunks, melted butter, and lemon juice in a large bowl. Pour into unbaked pie shell. Take your second pie crust, and with a cookie cutter, cut out your favorite shapes. This will give you a window to the inner-workings of your pie, and creates a good spot to insert a toothpick when testing it for doneness. Bake for 10 minutes at 450. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F, and bake an additional 30-45 minutes. Cool before slicing. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream for extra bonus points.
What I really like about this persimmon pie is the taste and texture. This pie is similar to pumpkin in it’s consistency, if just slightly more custardy and a bit more mild in it’s taste. The persimmon flavor is subtle which is why getting a little bite of the chopped up orange is such a nice treat, as well as a burst of color when you slice it up for service. 
I’ve made five persimmon pies for friends and family in the last two weeks. Part of this is practice for Thanksgiving with the in-laws, part is just to use up all of the persimmons we have laying around. If anyone has any other persimmon recipes, I am listening! Thanks for reading, and if you try this pie recipe out, I’d love to hear what you think of it!
Happy almost Thanksgiving!
63 pounds??? Wow. Try blending them with vanilla ice cream to make persimmon shakes. That’s how my mum used to unload them on us.
Or make some more of those beautiful pies!
I know! A bit much right? I like your mum’s style! Did I hear you once say that you were a persimmon pudding fan as well? I’ll trade you persimmons for the recipe
thanks for the comment Lauren!