Can we talk persimmons this week? But first – I have a confession to make. I literally had no idea what a persimmon even looked like, til I was 30.
We were ordering a weekly organic fruit and vege delivery box at the time, when low and behold, an odd looking bright orange circular fruit appeared in the mix. How could it be that there was something grown here in NZ, that had eluded my tastebuds for over quarter of a century? At this point Tony piped in. “Oh yeah, persimmons, my grandad had a tree we used to have them all the time”.
And so – the love affair began.
Back then, persimmons were a rare breed – not found in supermarkets, but the domain of those who owned a tree, or lived close to an orchard. I’m excited to say now that this exclusivity is no longer the case, with persimmons now readily available in your local supermarket.
But what do they taste like?!
Think fresh, fruity, sweet, ever so crunchy to bite, and deliciously bright orange. And… they make the perfect partner to crumble! So grab yourself a couple of these sunset delights, and give this super easy 15 minute crumble a go. Raw or cooked, this guy goes both ways, so even if you don’t want to turn the oven on, this one’s a winner!
Let’s go…
Perfect Persimmons
I’ve used some glorious persimmons from Gisborne, which you can find at your local supermarket (or read more about here). They make about 50% of New Zealand’s persimmons, so they know a thing or two about how to grow a good one. Although 75% of them at this stage are exported, so let’s keep a few back here in NZ for our crumbles.
In NZ they’re available from late April through to July, so they’re the perfect fruit to take you into warming winter fare. I’m absolutely loving them paired with tart green apples, in these mini Apple & Persimmon Crumbles. But I’ve also been enjoying them raw, chopped up, topped with coconut yoghurt and granola, as well as sliced and added to salads. They’re crunchy if you don’t let them go too ripe, and that’s how I reckon they taste best! They should be bright orange on the outside, and slightly soft to the touch – similar to a pear. If your persimmons aren’t ripe yet, simply store them in your fruit bowl alongside your apples and bananas – these other fruits will give off the ethylene concentration in the air, thus ripening your fruit.
Persimmons are originally native to Asia, including Japan, China, Korea, Myanmar and Nepal. NO need to peel your persimmons either! The skin is thin and delicate, so you can eat them like an apple, or slice them up (my favourite). When they’re firm, they have an apple-like crunch.
Here are a few fun facts for you. One large persimmon (~200g) contains
- 160% of your daily vitamin C needs
- 40% of your daily iron requirements
- 35% of your recommended daily manganese intake
- 20% of your Vitamin A requirements (beta carotene, the same as is found in carrots), and
- As much potassium as a banana (14% of your daily recommended intake)
These crumbles are absolutely divine. They’ll literally take you 10 minutes to put together, then the choice is yours as to whether you eat them as is. Or pop them in the oven for 15 minutes for a traditional warm baked crumble effect. Both are delicious!
Simple serve them with a scoop of dairy free vanilla ice cream on top (try my homemade recipe here, or buy store-bought). Or a big dollop of coconut yoghurt or my Coconut Cashew Chia Cream here. They’re so healthy, you could even grab one of these (sans the ice cream) for brekky!
So grab yourself a couple of persimmons, and give this crumble a go this weekend. I know you’re going to love it!
Pease note – if you are wanting to meet any of the specific dietary requirements below, please read my recipe notes.
Ingredients
- 1 large persimmon
- 2 green apple
Crumble
- 1/2 c walnuts
- 1/2 c almonds
- 1/2 c rolled oats
- 1/2 c dates
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 tbsp coconut oil melted
- pinch of sea salt
To Serve
- 4 scoops vanilla dairy free ice cream
- or coconut yogurt
- or coconut cashew chia cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius (356 fahrenheit) on fan bake if baking
- Chop fruit roughly in a food processor then pour into ramekins and press down firmly
- Blits the crumble ingredients excluding the coconut oil. Add coconut oil and mix again lightly being sure to retain some texture in the crumble
- Press 3 1/4 of the crumble ingredients firmly on top of the fruit, then lightly sprinkle the remaining crumble ingredients on top.
- Serve raw or bake for 15 minutes at 180 degrees celsius. Serve with ice cream or coconut yogurt or coconut cashew chia cream
Recipe Notes
- Use dried activated nuts if possible, it makes them crunchier and less bitter. You can find out all the info on my blog post here
- You can easily double this recipe to make 8 serves
- I’ve made this crumble in individual ramekins but you can make it as one large crumble as well
- The crumble should be just enough to fill 4 ramekins but in case you have leftovers, simply roll into balls, freeze and enjoy them as yummy bliss balls!
- Persimmons skin can be eaten like an apple or pear, so I’ve chosen to leave mine on for this crumble. If you prefer you can peel it off too.
