This savory stuffed persimmon recipe is the perfect side dish or quick lunch recipe. The persimmons are stuffed with lentils and cranberries. I love Roasted persimmons because they have a delicate and smoky flavor.
This is only the second time in my life that I have tried Persimmons!
Its embarrassing to admit, but, I never saw them as a recipe making ingredient! The first time I tried was circa 2006 and didn’t have a chance to try it again
Until now, when I figured I should give them a second chance
Difference between Fuyu persimmon and Hachiya persimmons
- Fuyu Persimmons are sweet and soft
- Hachiya Persimmons are longer and slightly bitter in taste
- Fuyu is used for dessert types of recipes
- Most chefs like using Hachiya in jam recipes or even bread recipes. I have tasted a hachiya foccacia before and it was so goooood! I haven’t be able to recplicate it. However, I have perfected the strawberry foccacia.
- In the US, only these two types of persimmons are sold. Other varieties include chocolate persimmon, Sharon fruit and Tanenashi.
In this recipe, I use the Fuyu Persimmon which are sweet and soft. They are sturdy enough especially for a savory recipe.
Their slight sweetness makes them the perfect companion to lentils and ginger. Both these ingredients are used heavily in this recipe.
How to pick a Fuyu Persimmon
So, how do I pick Fuyu persimmons? I have found that their skin color is the best way to tell the juicy from the un-ripe.
– The darker orange hue means that they are the peak sweetness level and ready to eat.
– They also are soft to the touch.
– A lighter orange color just means that they need time to ripen.
If you have a bunch of light orange persimmons, the fastest way to ripen them is to put them into a brown bag and place them in the dry, dark corner. They should ripen in a day or two.
Can you eat the persimmon’s skin?
Yes, Persimmon skin is edible and contains important nutrients
Their skin is edible, but, I see most people peel it. Personally, I loved keeping the skin on, especially when roasting them. They cook more evening and they hold their shape when stuffed.
If you want to peel the skin, potato peeler does an amazing job. You can put the skin into your rose garden or compost them.
The skin also makes for a good vegetarian broth. The broth will end up being slightly sweet making it perfect for creamy soups
Also known as Japan persimmons
I had no idea that Fuyu persimmons were known as Japan Persimmons, even though they originated in China. They are becoming really popular now because of all the creative recipes popping up online.
Martha Stewart has a collection of recipes that use it.
I want to try it in a salad recipe next time. They have little fat and have a huge amount of Vitamin A and C. I also stuffed persimmons with a mix of red lentils and regular lentils, mostly because I didn’t have enough regular lentils to stuff 4 persimmons.
You can choose only the lentils or both in this stuffed persimmons.
The ginger is a nice offset to the sweetness of the persimmons. It added a nice spice level to the whole recipe.
Sweet potatoes are a huge part of this recipe. You can use regular sweet potatoes or even Stokes purple sweet potatoes
What’s your favorite way to eat persimmons?
If you like stuffed recipes, try my stuffed shells recipe. Its beyond delicious.
P/S: You can also stuff lentils into poblanos or make a quick lunch by cooking them in the Instant Pot
Related: Have you tried my broccoli veggie dippers with lentils?
Savory Stuffed Persimmons
Ingredients
- 5 Fuyu Persimmons
- 1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil or Coconut Oil
- 1 Tbsp Ginger Shredded
- 1 tsp Garlic Shredded
- 1/4 cup Red onions Finely chopped
- 1/4 cup Baby Mushrooms Thinly sliced
- 1.5 cup Lentils Cooked
- 1/4 cup Baby Spinach Chopped
- 1/4 cup Coconut Water Optional
- 2 Tbsp Peperoncini Finely Chopped
- 1 Tbsp Nutritional Yeast Optional
- 1/4 cup Walnuts Roughly Chopped
- 2 Tbsp Cranberries Dried
- 1/4 tsp Salt Optional
- 1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
- 2 tsp Capers
- 1/2 tsp Lime Juice Freshly Squeezed
- Cooking Spray
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400° F.
- Cut the tops of the Persimmons and scoop out the inside using a melon baller. Save the insides.
- Take a baking dish and oil it using cooking spray. Spray the persimmon inside and outside and place them in the oven
- Roast them for 7 minutes and then remove the baking dish. Set them aside to cool
- Heat a medium pan on medium for 30 seconds before adding the oil
- Add the onions and cook for 30 Seconds
- Add the garlic and ginger
- Add the mushrooms and cook for 7 minutes or until they soften
- Add the persimmon pulp and coconut water. Cook for 5 minutes on low heat
- Add the Spinach and let them shrink to half their size
- Add all the remaining ingredients and mix well
- Fill up the roasted persimmons with the lentil mixture. You will have some mixture left over
- Transfer the Persimmons into the oven again and roast for about 7-10 minutes
- Remove and let them cool to touch
- Serve immediately
Notes
- Nutrition info is approximate
This was absolutely delicious. I’m wondering if this same recipe can be fine using Hachiya persimmons?
Thank you so much Favienne! I am so happy to hear that you liked it. I haven’t tried it with Hachiya because it’s hard to find where I live in FL. But, I would think it’s possible to make it using that persimmon type. Hachiya is a little bitter, so, you may have to adjust the flavors. Add a little more sweetness and a little more spice. Also, you may have to adjust the cook time of the persimmons.
I appreciate your honest approach to food exploration and education.
I have always eaten persimmons fresh or dehydrated and in purees/jams, but haven’t explored cooking with them much.
I am trying your stuffed persimmon recipe tomorrow, and tonight they will be roasted, covered in honey, and served with coconut whip cream! Thank you for the suggestion.
My favourite sandwich is with fresh persimmons, cream cheese (the vegan bf uses Tofuti), cracked pepper and arugula (sometimes I add red onions). I have found it a good way to get salad greens into my nieces ;0
Thank you so much, Tempest. I love that you are going to try it with honey and coconut whip cream. Sounds delicious to me.
I’m so glad you’ve embraced persimmons, I just love them! Stuffing them here is brilliant, the combination looks just fabulous – can’t wait to give this a try!
Thank you, Debra