I grew up eating persimmons as a snack, often with yogurt and toast (it's a Japanese thing). Isphahan is bright (limon Omani), savory (garlic), and aromatic (cardamom). Together with cider vinegar, brown sugar, and hot chilis, this blend transforms a simple fruit into a perfect winter pickle, festively orange, crunchy, and ready overnight. Also perfect with nearly any cheese.
In a small saucepot simmer the water with the brown sugar and Isphahan for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, fine strain into a measuring cup and add the cider vinegar.
Peel the persimmons and cut into eighths, rub with chili and salt and pack into a quart jar.
Pour the spiced vinegar over the persimmons and place in the fridge. Ready the next day and keeps for about two weeks.
Recipe Note
Recipe Notes:
* Make sure to get Fuyu (flat) persimmons, the crisper the better. Hachiya persimmons (pointy) are highly tannic and cannot be eaten until soft.
Variations & Ideas:
• Experiment with different sweeteners (silan, honey, maple), or chilis (Aleppo, ancho).
• Try chopping the pickled persimmons and using them as a base for a pico de gallo. It's a great alternative to tomatoes in the winter time.
• The leftover pickling liquid can be reused for another batch (just add a bit more vinegar, water, and sugar and re-boil it), and can also be added to cocktails and seltzer.
