Winters here are full of splashes of bright orange dappled throughout the countryside, the cachi (persimmon) stunning against the snow. But there are just so many, and what to do with them with them all? Tragic not to make use of such sweet abundance.
Eaten raw, they leave a strange furry matting to the roof of your mouth, cooked they just go to mush, and there's only so much mush you can eat.
And here's the trick.
Dry them.
They crystallise and become the most delectable candied fruit. A very naughty, but very very nice, sweet treat without a single additive or grain of sugar in existence.
They can be chopped and mixed into your warming winter porridge; add a spoonful of cinnamon and you have the food of the gods.
You can make a fruit cake out of them, a tart, or a loaf, coat them in chocolate, or just simply pop them in your mouth when you get the munchies. And not so much of a whisper of a furry mouth. Win, win, every time.
So here's how:
1. Pick the fruit with some stalk still attached (you'll need this for hanging them).
2. Peel the fruit, leaving a small disc of peel top and bottom.
3. Hang them somewhere dry and airy, leaving space between each one.
4. Give them a squeeze every now and then to encourage the sugar to the outside.
5. After about 3 months they're ready to be munched.
Couldn't be easier.
And they look very pretty too.
Enjoy.
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| Pick your cachi (persimmon) with a small length of stick still attached |
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| Peel them, leaving a small disc top and bottom |
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| Hang them in a dry, airy space. Don't forget to squeeze them, cachi's need love too |
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| After about 3 months they're crystallising nicely |
Simple pleasures
