15 Top Recipes For Sharon Fruit & Persimmon

We love to grow our own food, but then making sure to make the most of it is vital! Sharon fruit is still uncommon in the UK but we hope to convert you all!

You can eat Sharon fruit raw with salads or feta cheese and olives. Or you can bake it in savory dishes or sweet puddings and desserts. Persimmon goes well on a cheese board or with a side or mascarpone. You will also find it nutrient packed and working really well in a post-workout smoothie.

You don’t have to grow your own tree to enjoy Sharon fruit, but just feel inspired to give some of these recipes a go!

Persimmon Vs Sharon Fruit

Sometimes recipes can seem confusing as they use persimmon and Sharon fruit almost interchangeably.

Sharon fruit is a type of persimmon and grown originally in Israel. The Sharon fruit is mainly seedless and with a softer less astringent flavor than some unripe persimmon. It is also more like a tomato in the softness of it’s skin and size. Both taste of creamy apricot / mango with a hint of tannic.

When we are looking at recipes it is important to just bear these differences in mind. However do not be held back if you are growing persimmon and a recipe calls for Sharon fruit as often the two are used interchangeably and the difference is subtle.

Just a quick note on how to eat fresh persimmon – I slice the top open and scoop out the flesh with a teaspoon and sort of eat them like a hard boiled egg. Not the most classy move I know but it is great for just grabbing and popping in a packed lunch box as you can take the top off yourself.

Top Recipes For Persimmon & Sharon Fruit

When ripe persimmon and Sharon fruit taste pretty much the same with the only difference being the thickness of their skin, Sharon fruit being thinner and edible. The taste is like a cross between apricot and mango with a slight tannic flavor. The texture is that of cream and can be great in recipes that call for a dairy free option. Used baked or raw persimmon is fabulous!

Recipes With Baked Persimmon or Sharon Fruit

• Baked Sharon Fruit This recipe uses cinnamon and ginger as well as vanilla. You may find that the first two overpower the vanilla and therefore it is an ingredient we remove. Either include the vanilla or the ginger, but not both. It goes very well with mascarpone or a Greek yoghurt. Just be aware that the texture is massively changed and do eat while still warm as cold cooked persimmon is a bit yuck.
• Persimmon Baked Custard Tarts This recipe makes the most of the creamy sweet nature of persimmon. You will find it a perfect Winter warmer and relatively straight forward to bake as well.
• Gluten Free Persimmon Fruit Cake Sometimes specialist diets call for some unusual solutions and Sharon fruit can fulfill that role. It is light enough to make the best afternoon tea cake you could want and suit restrictive diet friends as well. Rebecca has even included a vegan version for no eggs as well.
• Sharon Fruit Cake I wanted to include a recipe for those who are not eating a gluten free diet or a vegan one. So this contains plain flour and an egg. Secretly it is a cake that contains a lot of nutritional content, but don’t tell the kids that.
• Spiced Persimmon Muffins Using either fresh persimmons or canned this is a vegetarian recipe with some real warmth. The cinnamon and ginger are really complemented with the sweetness of the Sharon fruit.
• Persimmon Crumble With Honey & Cinnamon This is a complete classic and because you are using ripe Persimmon it comes at just the right time of year. October is the time to be baking crumbles with a large scoop of vanilla ice cream!
• Persimmon Chutney This is one of the easiest chutney recipes I have found and it will become a firm favorite for the family I am sure. Great with cold meats and on a cheese board. I think that chutney makes for a great addition to a food hamper gift set and growing your own Sharon fruit will only add to the personalized nature of the gift!
• Persimmon Jam This is a simple and tasty way to store your Sharon fruit and it will keep fresh for up to a year. Great as part of a bigger Christmas gift hamper for friends and family! I think of it as a bit like Quince jelly and very welcome on sourdough toast.
• Sharon Fruit Galette This recipe is quick and very impressive for an Autumnal Dinner party. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream and let your guests pop to see your persimmon tree afterwards to really feel that warm glow of Fall.
• Persimmon Bread Is a no nonsense straight forward bread recipe that works time and time again. Lovely to cook with fruit and vegetables in this way and Candice Walker is one of our favorite recipe inventors!

Recipes Using Fresh Persimmon – Uncooked

• Sharon Fruit Smoothie You can add extra zing to this already perky smoothie recipe by adding not just ginger but also turmeric and a twist of freshly ground black pepper. Then it is perfect as a first thing in the morning burst of sunshine to your day!
• Persimmon Salsa Fresca This is a great twist on a classic salsa and perfect for chili and nacho night in any home. WE miss out the cilantro leaves and swap for fresh mint leaves instead, this is because I have the soapy coriander taste gene and try to avoid the flavor, but replace with a fresh herb.
• Sharon Fruit and Pomegranate Salad 100% Kosher and 100% fresh and flavor packed. The combination of persimmon and pomegranate is a total classic with the addition here of avocado. Ten minutes to make and really I can’t tell you how much of a plate of Summer this really is!
• Persimmon Panna Cotta This recipe is the perfect dinner party pleaser as it is so visually eye catching. The bright orange of the Sharon fruit and the crisp white of the panna cotta. You can miss out the addition of rum as well if you have guests who would rather have alcohol free.
• Roasted Radicchio and Persimmon Salad This recipe has everything your palate needs from the roasting of the radicchio to the pickled mustard seed. Just scrummy and super healthy. Feel good food at it’s finest with each ingredient having a truly well earned place in this dish.

What Next & Further Reading

• How To Grow Persimmon Diospyros Kaki -Sharon Fruit. If you love to grow your own food than this is the ultimate fruiting tree. We think it is due to become very fashionable as right now it feels like an untapped gem of a fruit tree. Gorgeous October color and decades of fruit bearing years in each tree.
• Crops That Thrive In Soggy, Wet Soil Persimmon is a wet soil loving tree, so if you have areas that need drainage but would still be considered ‘wet’ check out this article.
• www.healthline.com have a great article on teh health benefits of persimmon and really will convince you to start growing your own or getting to your local farmers market.