Beautiful Martin County, Indiana
Persimmon Pudding? Yes, Please!
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by Carolyn Ann Howard
One of the first things I learned in my one year of living in Martin County, Indiana, specifically Lost River Township, is how important the persimmon tree is to the citizens of this fair county. Not just important but valued. Firstly, the trees are beautiful. Secondly, they're pretty good at predicting winter weather, and thirdly, their fruit makes a fine concoction known as persimmon pudding. The fruit can also be used to make cookies, cakes and pies. They can be dried or eaten fresh. They can even be used to make wine and beer. Native Americans used persimmons in gruel, cornbread and pudding. [1] Click on photos to enlarge
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| Persimmon Tree in Winter Credit: James Heilman, MD Courtesy Wikimedia Commons |
The persimmon trees of Martin County are called American Persimmons and may have been brought to the area by those who came from the south, although I have read conflicting accounts of this. According to the Purdue Extension web site, the tree is indigenous to Southern Indiana. [2] Even so, I personally had never heard of a persimmon tree and the amazing gifts it gives until moving to Martin County in 2013.
Firstly, their beauty. Without too much text, just look at the pictures. Aren't they gorgeous? These pictures were taken after the leaves had fallen in autumn so you can clearly see the delicious fruit.
Firstly, their beauty. Without too much text, just look at the pictures. Aren't they gorgeous? These pictures were taken after the leaves had fallen in autumn so you can clearly see the delicious fruit.
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| Persimmons in Nakagawa, Nanyo City, Yamagata Prefecture, Japan Credit: Geomr Courtesy Wikimedia Commons |
The actual fruit doesn't mature until the fall, sometimes staying on the tree until winter. You have to be careful to make sure the fruit is ripe before picking it, or the taste will be bitter, and that's no good. If you're patient and wait until the fruit is ripe, it will be very sweet. Also, eating persimmons that aren't ripe can lead to phytobezoars, which require surgical intervention. So avoid those unripe persimmons! To make sure they're ripe, just shake the tree! If they fall out, you can be sure that they're ripe.
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| Persimmon Fruit The ones in the back are not ripe. The ones in front are. Credit: Jon Richfield Courtesy Wikimedia Commons |
Secondly, it seems they're good predictors of the winter weather. If you'd like to know what kind of winter that's coming, just look to the seed of the persimmon. Cut the persimmon open to get to the seed. Is it spoon (shovel)-shaped, knife-shaped or fork-shaped? If it is spoon-shaped, you'll have lots of snow, so get that shovel out. Knife-shaped, it will be cold... cold that cuts like a knife. If it is fork-shaped, it will be a mild winter with plenty to eat!
Persimmon pudding is an Indiana favorite. In my book Pioneer Stories, Maggie and her mother make persimmon pudding for Maggie's fiancé, John Ritter.
Maggie put her baskets off to one side and went to one of the persimmon trees. Carefully she gave it a shake, and a shower of persimmon fruit fell from the tree. She squealed at the abundance. By the time the ladies were done gathering, their baskets were brimming over.
Back inside the house, they began their work to process the persimmon into pulp. Mother gently cleaned the fruit in a bucket of water. Maggie took the cleaned fruit and put it into a colander. Using a pestle, she gently pressed the pulp out of the fruit and into a bowl. When she had finished her first batch, she had a bowl full of vibrant orange-red pulp and a colander full of skin and seeds. [3]After that, the pulp is mixed with sugar, sweet milk and cinnamon and then placed in the oven. It's a very sweet treat!
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| Persimmon Pudding Credit to Spablab via Wikimedia Commons |
Directions
- Combine persimmon pulp with sugar.
- Beat in eggs. Mix in milk, then butter.
- Sift or stir flour with baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg.
- Mix with persimmon mixture.
- Pour batter into a well greased 9-inch square cake pan.
- Bake in a 315-325°F oven for approx 60 minutes or until knife comes out clean. [4]
[1] “American Persimmon.” Uncommon Fruit, uncommonfruit.cias.wisc.edu/american-persimmon/. Accessed November 20, 2018.
[2] “Forestry & Natural Resources.” Indiana's Land Grant University, www.purdue.edu/fnr/extension/blog/2018/09/05/the-fruit-of-the-gods-from-an-indiana-tree/. Accessed November 20, 2019.
[3] Howard, Carolyn Ann. Pioneer Stories. December Moonlight, 2016.
[4] O, Rhonda. “Persimmon Pudding Recipe - Genius Kitchen.” Ammonium Bicarbonate - Kitchen Dictionary - Genius Kitchen, Genius Kitchen, 17 Dec. 2001, www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/persimmon-pudding-15963.
© 2022 by December Moonlight Publishing, LLC
