The Perfect Persimmon: History, Recipes, and More

by Michelle Medlock Adams

Overview

Whether served in a batch of cookies or in a soup bowl, the persimmon is a favorite fruit of Midwesterners. Called the "divine fruit" or the "fruit of the gods," persimmons range from the American common persimmon, perfect for every kind of dessert, to Fuyu persimmons, a variety from China that has since won many hearts.

In The Perfect Persimmon, award-winning journalist Michelle Medlock Adams serves up persimmon expertise, from knowing when the fruit is at its ripest to sharing the best preparation techniques. Adams hails from the birthplace of the Mitchell Persimmon Festival in Lawrence County, Indiana, where the Midwest's best-kept secret, persimmon pudding, has people flocking toward what some consider the persimmon capital of the world.

Armed with a love of persimmons that has been nurtured from a young age, Adams has collected the best persimmon recipes, guaranteed to satisfy any hankering for the savory or the sweet. Accompanying these recipes are personal anecdotes detailing childhood memories and folktales about greedy possums, wise turtles, and the persimmon seed's ability to predict winter forecasts, providing a colorful context for this favored fruit.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781684351121
Publisher:	Indiana University Press
Publication date:	12/22/2021
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	144
File size:	14 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Michelle Medlock Adams is an award-winning journalist and best-selling author of many books, including Dinosaur Devotions, What Is America?,  and They Call Me Mom.

Read an Excerpt

People in the Midwest—especially those living in Southern Indiana—take their persimmons seriously. But, if you were to ask people in other states, they'd probably ask, "What's a persimmon?"
This puckery little fruit, when ripe, is the perfect ingredient for amazing desserts, and you'll find lots of those in this little book. One thing I discovered when researching for this book was this—people are passionate about their persimmon recipes. Using cinnamon instead of Allspice or replacing buttermilk for cream makes for a very different persimmon pudding. For that reason, I have included several variations of recipes for essentially the same dessert or dish; however, one pinch of this or another pinch of that can completely change the flavor. I encourage you to try all of the variations of these recipes, and maybe even experiment with your own version!
As you'll discover in the following pages, there's also more than one variety of persimmons, and different persimmons make very different dishes. For example, the persimmons found in the western part of the United States are bigger and different in texture, and those are perfect for salads and soups and many other side dishes, while the Common Persimmon found in the Midwest is more suited for desserts. I've included recipes featuring both kinds of persimmons; however, full disclosure here. I'm more of a Common Persimmon person since that's what I've grown up with and loved ever since I was old enough to toddle around Lawrence County's Persimmon Festival.
I have several plastic bags of persimmon pulp in my freezer right now, and you can bet I'll be experimenting with more persimmon-y creations in days to come. I hope you'll do the same.
I also hope you'll enjoy the interesting little-known facts and folklore surrounding persimmons and the people who love and celebrate them. Lastly, I hope if you're already a lover of persimmons that this book will speak your love language and possibly introduce you to new information surrounding persimmons and offer new recipes. And, I hope if you've never tried a persimmon before that you'll be a bit adventurous and allow your taste buds to appreciate this lovely little fruit.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction
1. The History, the Varieties, the Lore
2. A Tale of Two Festivals
3. The Recipes
4. The People
Epilogue

What People are Saying About This

Ashley L. Jones

The Perfect Persimmon is full of yummy recipes, spiced with historical references, topped with small-time charm, and sprinkled with Michelle's signature style. What a delight!

Margaret McSweeney

A delightful and delicious read about the history of the persimmon and the taste memories of this fruit created and shared for generations in homes throughout Indiana. Michelle's storytelling will fill your plate with a new appreciation of the persimmon.

Lisa Rose

"I thoroughly enjoyed travelling with Michelle through time and space to learn about the persimmon, its ecology, and place in Midwest culture. The persimmon graces my table each fall in a spiced chutney to accompany game birds such as goose, duck and heritage breeds of turkey. Such a delicious fruit, and Michelle has inspired me to perfect my own version of persimmon pudding—look out Lawrence County!"

Margaret McSweeney]]>

A delightful and delicious read about the history of the persimmon and the taste memories of this fruit created and shared for generations in homes throughout Indiana. Michelle's storytelling will fill your plate with a new appreciation of the persimmon.

Lisa M. Rose

I thoroughly enjoyed travelling with Michelle through time and space to learn about the persimmon, its ecology, and place in Midwest culture. The persimmon graces my table each fall in a spiced chutney to accompany game birds such as goose, duck and heritage breeds of turkey. Such a delicious fruit, and Michelle has inspired me to perfect my own version of persimmon pudding—look out Lawrence County!

Lisa M. Rose]]>

I thoroughly enjoyed travelling with Michelle through time and space to learn about the persimmon, its ecology, and place in Midwest culture. The persimmon graces my table each fall in a spiced chutney to accompany game birds such as goose, duck and heritage breeds of turkey. Such a delicious fruit, and Michelle has inspired me to perfect my own version of persimmon pudding—look out Lawrence County!

Ashley L. Jones]]>

The Perfect Persimmon is full of yummy recipes, spiced with historical references, topped with small-time charm, and sprinkled with Michelle's signature style. What a delight!

Editorial Reviews

"I recently got a new cookbook in the mail. It's not very big — at about 8-by-5-inches and a scant 130 pages or so of text, it's dwarfed by many of the books in my collection. But like its subject, it is packed full of yum, sweet and maybe just a little bit squishy. The author is Michelle Medlock Adams, an award-winning journalist and best-selling writer. From what I can see from perusing the 100+ titles on her website, this is her first book about food. And the subject is one that is near and dear to many Hoosier hearts. If I told you she grew up in Lawrence County, Indiana, you might begin to guess what is it is — a tiny orange fruit that is just starting to ripen here in Bloomington, the persimmon."—Carolyn VandeWiele, Herald-Times (Bloomington, IN)

"I thoroughly enjoyed travelling with Michelle through time and space to learn about the persimmon, its ecology, and place in Midwest culture. The persimmon graces my table each fall in a spiced chutney to accompany game birds such as goose, duck and heritage breeds of turkey. Such a delicious fruit, and Michelle has inspired me to perfect my own version of persimmon pudding—look out Lawrence County!"—Lisa M. Rose, author of Midwest Foraging: 115 Wild and Flavorful Edibles from Burdock to Wild Peach

"The Perfect Persimmon is full of yummy recipes, spiced with historical references, topped with small-time charm, and sprinkled with Michelle's signature style. What a delight!"—Ashley L. Jones, Modern Cast Iron

"A delightful and delicious read about the history of the persimmon and the taste memories of this fruit created and shared for generations in homes throughout Indiana. Michelle's storytelling will fill your plate with a new appreciation of the persimmon."—Margaret McSweeney, founder and host of Kitchen Chat

From the Publisher

I recently got a new cookbook in the mail. It's not very big — at about 8-by-5-inches and a scant 130 pages or so of text, it's dwarfed by many of the books in my collection. But like its subject, it is packed full of yum, sweet and maybe just a little bit squishy. The author is Michelle Medlock Adams, an award-winning journalist and best-selling writer. From what I can see from perusing the 100+ titles on her website, this is her first book about food. And the subject is one that is near and dear to many Hoosier hearts. If I told you she grew up in Lawrence County, Indiana, you might begin to guess what is it is — a tiny orange fruit that is just starting to ripen here in Bloomington, the persimmon.

Herald-Times (Bloomington, IN) - Carolyn VandeWiele