Persimmons

I didn't notice them at first, but when the people ahead of me in line raved about the American persimmons for sale by Coyote Hill Farm at the farmers market, I decided to try them. I had had Asian persimmons when we lived in California but had never tried the native American ones. These were much smaller, maybe around 1 1/2 inches in diameter.

In general, I have to say I'm not convinced they were worth it. Each fruit had several large seeds in it, and while the flesh is very sweet, it's sticky and there isn't that much of it. That said, I know some people love persimmons, so if you find them and don't mind the fuss, give them a try.

After we ate a couple straight, I decided to try to separate the seeds from the pulp and do something with the pulp. It wasn't all that easy. I tried putting them through a food mill, but the seeds were large enough that they got in the way. I eventually ended up pulling the seeds out with my fingers and then putting the flesh through the mill to puree it. That worked reasonably well, but I wouldn't want to do it with a large quantity (I had a pint or so of fruits). This yield around 1/2 to 2/3 cup of puree - though it was really more the consistency of paste than puree.

Since the amount of puree I had wasn't large, I decided to mix it with some applesauce. I did about a 1:4 ratio of persimmon puree to applesauce. It was quite tasty, and turned the pale yellow applesauce a pleasant pale orange color. I think this might make nice fruit leather as well. You could certainly go heavier on the persimmon in the mix if you had enough.

Applesauce Pancakes

These are best with a nice, chunky homemade applesauce. I recently made some from a bag of utility apples from Clarkdale Fruit Farms. The pancakes come out tender and soft with a wonderful apple-y flavor.

1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 egg, beaten
1 1/2 cups applesauce
1/2 cup milk
1 Tbsp brown sugar
Optional additions: raisins, walnuts
Butter or oil for cooking

Preheat one or two skillets over low heat while you prepare the batter.

Combine the whole wheat pastry flour, all purpose flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl.

In another bowl, combine the egg, applesauce, milk, and brown sugar. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until well combined. If desired, add in optional addition(s).

Cook the pancakes in butter or oil over medium heat, roughly 3 minutes per side. Keep cooked pancakes warm under a towel or in a low oven.

Serve with maple syrup.

Serves about four.

Applesauce Spice Muffins (Dairy-Free)

I put this recipe together this morning so that my visiting 20-month-old nephews, who are allergic to milk products, could have some. In addition to moisture and flavor, the applesauce adds sweetness, so that very little additional sugar is needed. I used some of the applesauce that I made and canned a few months ago from Clarkdale apples. If you like, you can substitute 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour for the all purpose and regular whole wheat.

1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup canola oil
1 1/4 cups applesauce

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and grease tins for 12 larger or 18 medium-sized muffins.

Combine the flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and baking powder in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, combine the egg, oil, and applesauce. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until thoroughly combined. Spoon the batter into muffin tins, then bake for about 20 minutes, until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Makes 12-18 muffins.