This persimmon bread with honey and candied ginger is moist, sweet, and spicy. The persimmons and honey give this bread a sweet rich flavor, while the candied ginger gives a bit of a kick in every bite. It’s satisfying in every way!
Persimmons: A Fall & Winter Fruit
As we head into the winter months the fresh fruit of the summer fades into the background. Sure, you can get strawberries all year round, but they are rather flavorless and expensive.
However, persimmons are one of the few fruits that are in season during the winter months October through February.
You’ve likely passed by a persimmon in the grocery store with curiosity. Maybe you’ve even tried a persimmon in the past only to bite into it and get a terrible astringent flavor.
Persimmons are sweet and rich when eaten at their peak, and they are astringent and bitter when unripe.
Related: 15 Persimmon Recipes: cakes, pies, jam, cocktails & more!
What are the different types of persimmons?
There are three common types of persimmons, the Asian Hachiya and Fuyu, and the American (Diospyros Virginiana). Each persimmon looks slightly different.
The Hachiya persimmon is heart shaped. It has an elongated body and a pale orange color. It is highly astringent due to its high levels of tannins. It must be very ripe, and soft to the touch in order for it to be ready for consumption.
The Fuyu persimmon is flatter and rounder, resembling the shape of a tomato. It has a pale orange color. It doesn’t contain as many tannins as the Hachiya persimmon, so it is ready to eat sooner.
Left: Hachiya Right: Fuyu
Like the Hachiya, the American persimmon is round and bright orange in color, and must be very ripe and soft before it is ready to eat. It is less commonly found in grocery stores, but it can be foraged!
American persimmons most commonly grow in the southeastern part of the United States. It is not considered a commercial crop because it is too soft to ship.
For this recipe, you’ll want to use either the Hachiya or the American persimmon.
How do I know if Hachiya persimmons are ripe?
Before cutting into your persimmon and using it in this recipe, give it a squeeze. The Hachiya persimmon must be very soft to the touch. If this were any other fruit you would think it was overly ripe or going bad.
When you squeeze the persimmon it should feel similar to squeezing a water balloon. Another clue that your persimmon is ready to eat, is that the green top should easily pull away from the skin.
Once you think your persimmon is ripe enough to eat, cut it open. It should have a deep orange color and a soft jelly like consistency.
Watch this great video for more tips on how to tell if your persimmon is ripe.
If you buy your persimmon before it is ripe, you will need to wait a few days to a few weeks before it is ready to eat.
Hachiya persimmons take quite some time to ripen. To speed up the ripening process place your persimmons in a paper bag with a banana.
Do not try to eat or use your Hachiya persimmon until it is very soft to the touch, the top pulls easily from the top, and the inside is bright orange and jelly like. It will be highly astringent and unpleasant otherwise!
Spiced Persimmon Bread with Honey & Ginger Recipe
Here is how to make this delicious and festive spiced persimmon bread!
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 325° F. Butter a loaf pan well.
Step 2: Scoop the sweet inner pulp of 2-3 very ripe Hachiya persimmons out of its skin. Place in a food processor or blender, and pulse until pureed and completely smooth.
Step 3:Â In a large bowl, cream the butter and honey using a hand or stand mixer. Add the eggs, persimmon puree, and vanilla. Stir to combine.
Step 4: In a smaller bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking soda, and spices. Stir to combine.
Step 5: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir gently to combine, being careful to not over mix. Fold in the crystallized ginger.
Step 6: Scrape batter into prepared loaf pan, and bake for 55-65 minutes or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick when inserted into the center comes out clean.
Persimmon Bread is a Delicious Fall or Winter Treat
This persimmon bread is moist, sweet, and rich in flavor. The honey and persimmon compliment one another beautifully in this bread as persimmons have a slightly honey like flavor when ripe.
Crystallized ginger adds just enough spice to balance the sweetness of the persimmons.
I based this recipe for persimmon bread with honey and ginger off of my popular Zucchini Spice Bread.
This persimmon bread tastes wonderful with grass fed butter and a drizzle of honey on top. Serve it for breakfast with a cup of herbal tea, or have it for a snack with a cup of fresh yogurt.
Now that you’re not scared to use persimmons, this recipe will become one of your all time favorite quick breads!
Have you given this persimmon bread with honey and ginger a try? Let me know how it turned out and what you think about persimmons!
Spiced Persimmon Bread with Honey and Ginger
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter (1 stick) softened, plus a little more for buttering the loaf pan
- 1/2 cup honey
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup Hachiya persimmon pulp from 2-3 very ripe persimmons
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 cup crystallized ginger roughly chopped
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325° F. Butter a loaf pan well.
- Scoop the sweet inner pulp of 2-3 persimmons out of their skin, to equal about one cup. Place in a food processor or blender, and pulse until pureed and completely smooth.
- In a large bowl, cream the butter and honey using a hand or stand mixer. Add the eggs, one cup of persimmon puree, and vanilla. Stir to combine.
- In a smaller bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking soda, and spices. Stir to combine.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir gently to combine, being careful to not over mix. Fold in the crystallized ginger.
- Scrape batter into prepared loaf pan, and bake for 55-65 minutes or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick when inserted into the center comes out clean.
I just received one of your beautiful loafs as a Christmas gift. Can I freeze it for a parry in January?
Of course. Enjoy!
Can I use gluten free flour instead of wheat
No, I’m sorry. The gluten is necessary as a binding agent in the recipe.
There are other binding ingredients available. All gluten-free baking utilizes this. It requires a mix of 3 ingredients typically.
My mother loves persimmon, I bet she will enjoy this very much.
I don’t know what I did wrong but it got bitter and soft inside and a bit dark outside:(
Sorry to hear that. I’m not sure what went wrong.
I’m growing a Fuyu Persimmon and we have two dozen persimmons this year. a few are really soft and sweet. Can I use them in the bread?
Sure! I bet it’ll be delicious!
I’m wondering if there any adjustments that need to be made if I use gluten free flour.
Oh, this recipe sounds delicious! You can also use “Vaniglia” Persimmon (or vanilla persimmon) which can be eaten before it become soft. It’s sweet, despite being hard to touch. And I eat it with the skin. It’s a different variety then those two you have described. This variety is all over our shops, becasue you can eat it immediately.