Peeled a Hachiya and tied it to a fishing string. Dipped it in the boiling water for about 15 seconds then hung it in a living or wherever indoor for about 10 to 15 days. Massage the fruit every few days. It is so good with a nectar consistency in the center. I will dry some American persimmons this way next year for trial.
Tony
Day one
Day ten
Looks amazing. I have to try this with Saijo next year.
Reminded me of this video about persimmons I found a while back:
Really neat, Tony. What is the purpose of the boiling? To help kill bacteria to prevent it from molding before it gets dry? I to break cell walls to help drying process? Or something else? I am going to try this with some Hachiyas I just bought.
Those peelers are awesome! Really cool to see how tradition was respected while modernizing.
The boiling water helps to kill any surface bacteria to prevent molding. You will enjoy them with a cup of green tea or coffee.
I was surprised how good dried persimmons were…when Cliff England gave me a sample to chew on.
Yes, dipped them in boiling water for about 15 to 20 seconds will take care of the molds. Make sure you massage them every few days.
Well darn, Tony. I only had 4 hachiyas by the time I tried this about a week ago, but I just now noticed that all 4 of them now have mold on the lower tips!!! I didn’t see @danchappell’s post until now but it sounds like he is having some as well. How about an update on yours Dan?
I’m not sure what I did. I dipped them in boiling water for 20 seconds after pealing them. But I haven’t been messaging them, so I guess that is it. I tried to wipe the mold off but had mixed success with that. I also keep my house quite cool in the winter (low 60’s!) so that could be a factor as well.
Oh well…hopefully I’ll have more fruit next year and I’ll try again.
Another great video about persimmon production and processing. Its 28 minutes long so grab some popcorn!
Re:mold a lot of home charcuterie guys wipe it off with a cloth soaked in vinegar, repeating 1-2 times daily for a few days. Might be worth a shot
Really enjoyed the film!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHTnuI9IKBA
This video makes me want to move to wherever this is so I can make these. Very interesting processing, including air drying followed by outdoor storage in the fruit’s own (cut off) skins. Simple and seemingly practical.
Well, @dimitri_7a and @PatapscoMike those videos have done it- my interest in persimmons has grown considerably. Something about seeing how important they are in Japan and especially their extensive history really endures me to these fruits. My own trees produced for the first time last year and I was so pleased with the taste that I ordered 2 more Saijos. This year was the first time I dried some (not the traditional method- I just cut them in slices and used a dehydrator) and they were so good that I was already thinking of getting more trees. Now I know I will!
Any suggestions for good zone 6a hardy options that are non astringent? My Saijos seem to have done well and are probably my favorite fruit I grow, but I’ve had hachiya trees killed by winter 2 separate years. I live just about 70 miles SOUTH of England’s Nursery so theoretically I should be able to grow anything he can. But I’d love any suggestions. Thanks all.
After much research Tam Kam seemed to be the most hardy non astringent persimmon I could find. I’ve already pre-ordered one from JF&E for March. FYI not many places carry this variety and apparently it sells out fast so I would definitely try to order it well before spring. Other options may be: Gwangyang, Chinebuli
@BobVance May offer you some advice as he lives in a similar zone as you and grows NA persimmon.
Guess you’ll be moving to China! Loved the video. Many thanks.
Thank-you so much, @dimitri_7a. When you tagged Bob it sort of embarrassed me because that made me remember that we have had a thread about this very topic before. I just tried to find it but I only have a few minutes and didn’t see it. Anyway, I always feel bad when I ask a question that has already been asked and discussed but I have an awful memory. Also, folks like yourself who haven’t been here for many years may not have seen it anyway so even if my memory is correct (and it may not be) I’m sure some people (me) could still benefit from recommendations for the hardiest persimmons (in my case, the hardiest Asian, Astringent persimmons).
Thank you again for taking the time to try and help out, and your answer alone was extremely helpful! I see a lot of persimmon varieties in my future!!! 
I grow the trees, but no fruit yet, even though I planted Tam Kam in 2011. It has had too much die-back, sometimes almost to the ground/graft. Chinebuli is supposed to be hardy to -16F (per Englands). I had a small graft of it which died last winter, but I think part of it was that it wasn’t near the top of the tree and I’ve been told that persimmons self-prune such wood.
I’m giving up on NA persimmons at home, but I do own some other properties a few miles (and half a hardiness zone) closer to the ocean where I’m planning on planting Tam Kam, Ichi Ki Kei Jiro, and Gwang Yang. I also moved the struggling Tam Kam and Izu from my yard.
One of the secrets to drying persimmons is to start drying while they are not yet fully ripe. If you start drying when ripe they may develop mold. We live in a dry climate which also works to our advantage. Daniel Chappell - We have harvested well over 100 lbs of...
