Persimmon Ice Cream

by Dorothy Reinhold on December 13, 2012


Print This Post Print This Post Persimmon Ice Cream on Shockingly Delicious. Recipe here: https://www.shockinglydelicious.com/?p=10857

Persimmon Ice Cream is a gorgeous holiday dessert with a lovely orange color and a beguiling, sweet, sophisticated flavor perfumed with vanilla.

If you have been very, very good in December, life might hand you lots of persimmons. And so blessed, you had best make ice cream!

My persimmons came from my friends at Melissa’s Produce, but they are widely available in the grocery store, or perhaps your neighbors even have a tree. Go make friends, right now.

Let those gorgeous, gemstone-like Hachiya persimmons get so ripe they seem ready to burst – like a bag of jelly when you pick them up – and you’ll be rewarded with the prettiest, sweetest, most elegant December holiday ice cream ever. (If you need a reminder about the different varieties of persimmons, you can get one here.)

Persimmon Ice Cream on Shockingly Delicious. Recipe here: https://www.shockinglydelicious.com/?p=10857To this seasonal frozen treat I have also added the perfumed flavor of a very special vanilla – Heilala Vanilla Paste, the secret ingredient of many a chef. This is wickedly good stuff, and includes both the extract and the seeds. I love vanilla seeds speckling my ice cream. Heilala is worth seeking out.

12 Weeks of Christmas Treats logoMy special ice cream is part of the “12 Weeks of Christmas Treats” cyber party hosted by Brenda of Meal Planning Magic.   Below my recipe, take a look at what everyone brought to the party, and choose something you want to make for your family!

Happy holidays to all of you!

Recipe: Persimmon Ice Cream

Summary: Persimmon Ice Cream is a lovely orange color and a beguiling, sweet, sophisticated flavor perfumed with vanilla — a gorgeous holiday dessert.

Ingredients

  • 1 ¼ cup persimmon puree (from 3 Hachiya persimmons) * (see note about ripeness below)
  • ½ teaspoon Heilala Vanilla Paste (or use vanilla extract)
  • 3 tablespoons honey
  • ¼ cup organic milk
  • ¼ cup organic heavy cream
  • Pinch of salt

Instructions

  1. To get the persimmon puree, peel 3 Hachiya persimmons and scoop the goopy flesh into a small food processor. Whirl for 10-15 seconds until it make puree. Three persimmons will yield about 1 ¼ cups puree. If you have a little more or a little less, that’s fine.
  2. Stir all ingredients together in a bowl, and pour into an ice cream maker. Process according to manufacturer’s instructions. My ice cream took about 20-25 minutes to freeze. Pack into a pint container and store in the freezer.
  3. Makes 1 pint (or perhaps slightly more, if your ice cream maker adds more air to it).

Hachiya persimmons

Hachiya Persimmon Ice Cream. Recipe here: https://www.shockinglydelicious.com/?p=10857We must wait patiently for prized Hachiya persimmons to ripen – the flesh will be gelatinous and jelly-like when truly ripe. Unripe and firm, it is so astringent it will cause pain when you eat it! People who try to eat a firm Hachiya invariably say they hate persimmons. Read more about it in my prior article. If it is nearly, oh-so-close-but-not-there-yet ripe, you may also freeze the persimmon, then thaw, and that should do the trick.

What is Heilala Vanilla?

 Heilala vanilla and Hachiya persimmon in Persimmon Ice Cream: https://www.shockinglydelicious.com/?p=10857The king of the world of vanilla, Heilala Vanilla Paste, from New Zealand, is a super premium, wonderful flavor made by combining vanilla seeds and vanilla extract to get the best of both worlds. It is slightly thickened by a natural seaweed thickener, to yield nothing short of vanilla magic. Heilala Vanilla paste has recently won – deservedly! — several highly coveted foodie awards, and the company is one to watch.

Preparation time: 5 minutes
Freezing time: 25 minutes
Number of servings (yield): 4-6
Culinary tradition: USA (Nouveau)
My rating 5 stars:  ★★★★★ 

Melissa’s Produce sent the persimmons for recipe testing. Heilala Vanilla sent a trial sample. 



{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }

josephine corallo June 14, 2019 at 5:08 pm

Yummy

Reply

Maxie December 24, 2012 at 12:46 am

Of course, I found your great site on Ana’s list!

Reply

Annamaria @ Bakewell Junction December 14, 2012 at 8:04 pm

An amazing ice cream flavor. Lovely for Christmas.

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Cindys Recipes December 13, 2012 at 9:41 pm

looks delicious Dorothy!

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Yasuko December 24, 2012 at 5:58 pm

You know how to make something look BEAUTIFUL. I mean, truly, I don’t know if I’ve seen anything prettier today. Yay for blogs and for trying new produce. Thank you so much for sharing with me tonight. I hope you have a wonder-filled holiday!

Reply

Marty December 13, 2012 at 11:05 am

I just might have to try this as I have several bags of persimmon puree in my freezer just waiting for a great use!

Reply

Dorothy December 13, 2012 at 8:22 pm

Marty,
Go for it!

Reply

Connie Kaiser December 13, 2012 at 8:43 am

So inviting!

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Nicole December 13, 2012 at 6:06 am

That is possibly the most interesting and intriguing flavor of ice cream ever. I’d really like some please. 🙂

Reply

Dorothy December 13, 2012 at 7:48 am

Nicole,
You will have to fight my husband for it! The other benenfit of persimmon is it is really a pretty color.

Reply

Dorothy December 13, 2012 at 8:24 pm

Rook,
I love the Fuyu persimmons, too, which are the ones you can eat firm like an apple. One of my favorite December fruits. I want to make sure that you know you need to use the Hachiya variety for this ice cream, and let them ripen so they are gelatinous and like a bag of jelly! So sweet and good.

Reply

Dorothy December 13, 2012 at 8:25 pm

Heilala,
Your vanilla is amazing! Just pretty magical…

Reply

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