Easy Persimmon Jam Recipe

Persimmon Jam is very easy to make, it can be used in cheesecakes or just spread it on toast. This recipe will be ready in 35 minutes with only 4 ingredients.

You can spread it on pretty much anything and enjoy it with a cup of tea or coffee. I like spreading the jam on homemade brioche bread or strawberry banana bread

Persimmon jam in a jar

Easy Persimmon Jam Recipe

Persimmon Jam is very easy to make and it’s delicious this time of the year. The jam takes only minutes to make with just a few ingredients. I love to have some on buttery toast in the morning or to add it to desserts, like in these Persimmon Cheesecake Bars.

The jam would also make great hostess gifts! Put it on pancakes, oatmeal, or pair it with cheese, there are so many combos you can enjoy this seasonal jam with! Also, you can easily store it and enjoy it for days and weeks to come! This is probably the best way to use leftover persimmons. 

What is a persimmon?

Persimmons are red-brown or orange fruits, they grow on trees and looks similar to a tomato. They come in two varieties: stringent and non-astringent, the latter being pleasingly sweet. The Giant Fuyu (also known as Jumbo or Hana Fuyu) is harder to find, but it’s on the sweeter, non-astringent side.

The Hachiya – is shaped like an acorn and about the size of a medium tomato, it has shiny, bright orange skin. It is usually widely available in grocery stores and is extremely astringent until it is so soft that the flesh can be eaten like a pudding.

What kind of persimmons should I use to make persimmon jam?

The key to sweet and delicious Persimmon Jam is to get ripe persimmons, otherwise, you will get that unpleasantly astringent flavor and fuzzy texture. Don’t worry if you can’t find ripe persimmons at your local store, you can just buy them, and place them on your counter in a brown paper bag, they will be done in a few days.

Also, you can use the Giant Fuyu that is sweeter or use very ripe Hachiya. Make sure you taste the fruit that you intend to use, to ensure that it is not astringent.

Can you eat the skin of a persimmon?

Yes, you can! It totally comes down to your own preference. Make sure you wash them before eating, also pay attention that you may find a seed or two. Like with other fruits, the skin contains a lot of vitamins and healthy nutrients which are good for your body. 

However, I would recommend washing and buying organic type whenever possible. 

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Persimmon jam recipe

How to make Persimmon Jam?

This is a super simple and easy recipe to make. Also, I have attached a short video tutorial above for easy step by step guidelines. The general steps are as follows:

  1. Clean the persimmons: It is best to use ripe fruits in this recipe. First, rinse and peel them, and cut into smaller pieces. 
  2. Puree: Using a food processor, puree the fruits. 
  3. Cook: Transfer the puree into a saucepan, and cook over medium-high heat. Add the sugar to it, and boil for 15 about minutes, while stirring occasionally.
  4. Make the cornstarch: In a separate bowl, prepare the cornstarch by mixing it with water until it is properly dissolved. Then, and it to the mixture and add some freshly squeezed lemon juice. Continue to boil on low for another 15 minutes. Once the texture thickness, the jam is ready. 
  5. Let it cool: Lastly, let the jam cool and serve!

Persimmon storage and freezing guidelines:

  • Persimmons are high in pectin and historically have been used to make jelly and as a thickening agent. The fruit can also be added to baked goods.
  • To ripen your Hachiya persimmon quicker, store leaf side down on the kitchen counter. It may take a few days and should not be rushed. Hachiyas should not be refrigerated usually.
  • Fuyu persimmons, need to maintain a crisp consistency and are better stored in the refrigerator.
  • To fasten the ripening of a persimmon, place it in a sealed container with an apple or banana, that will soften a Hachiya in about three to four days.
  • Another, more unusual way to fast the ripening process is to freeze the unripe persimmons. Once you thaw them, the persimmon is ready to eat, it will have the soft texture you are looking for, but taste-wise it will not compare to a fresh, ripen persimmon.
  • You can also freeze persimmon puree, just add it to freezer bags, about 2 cups per bag and lay them flat in the freezer. The puree can be stored frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw before serving.
  • You can also freeze persimmon jam, make sure it has completely cooled before freezing. Add it to freezer bags, about 2 cups per bag and lay them flat in the freezer. The jam can be stored frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw before serving.

Persimmon Jam is very easy to make, it can be used in cheesecakes or just spread it on toast. This recipe will be ready in 35 minutes with only 4 ingredients.

Persimmon Jam Recipe

Catalina Castravet
Persimmon Jam is very easy to make, it can be used in cheesecakes or just spread it on toast. This recipe will be ready in 35 minutes with only 4 ingredients.
5 from 11 votes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 3 cups
Calories 281 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

  • 6 large persimmons peeled
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 lemon juiced
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch

Instructions
 

  • Make sure you use ripe persimmons. 
  • Clean persimmons, peel, if you spot any seeds, discard them. Puree the fruit using a food processor. You should have between 1 1/2-2 cups of puree. 
  • Peel the persimmons, chop and place in a food processor. Pulse until you are left with a smooth puree.
  • Transfer persimmon puree into a medium saucepan over medium-high heat and add the sugar. Boil for 15 minutes on medium heat, stirring occasionally.
  • In a small bowl, mix water and corn starch until the cornstarch is dissolved. Add the mixture to the persimmon puree followed by the lemon juice and boil on low - medium heat for another 15 minutes, (stirring occasionally), or until slightly thickened.
  • If you want the jam thicker, add another round of cornstarch and water mix. Just don't add the cornstarch directly, it will create lumps if not dissolved with water first.
  • Let the jam cool down to room temperature.
  • Pour into sterilized jars and seal, store in the freezer.
  • Or pour into mason jars, that can be closed airtight and store in the refrigerator for immediate consumption for up to 7-10 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 281kcalCarbohydrates: 73gProtein: 0gFat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 2mgPotassium: 49mgFiber: 1gSugar: 67gVitamin C: 20.4mgCalcium: 9mgIron: 0.2mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

picture of persimmon jam for pinterest

5 from 11 votes

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59 Comments

  1. Love persimmons, had my first persimmon about few weeks ago. Now i just cant stop eating them. This is easy recipe definitely will try to make the jam.5 stars

  2. Does this preserve well without pectin? Ive seen a few recipes with it and people seemed to have trouble with it, oorit turned their jam super hard. Your recipe seems the best though and would love to try it, but I am shipping it and need it to last a while. Thanks!

    1. Hi Kila, this is more of a freezer jam type of recipe, it stores really well in the freezer when sealed in sterilized jars. I actually kept a jar in my refrigerator for 2 weeks, while eating the jam, and it was fresh and delicious during that whole period. If your package won’t travel for too long, you can seal the jam in sterilized jars and ship it. But you have to consider for how long it will travel. You can go ahead and add a little pectin, but it will change the texture making it a little more jelly like.

  3. Hello, I have several wild persimmon trees on my farm and would like to try your recipe. Can I hot water can this jam??

    1. Persimmons have a pH value that makes them unsafe for water bath canning, you can still do it, but only if you combine them with a more acidic fruit and lots of lemon juice.

  4. Want to try this- could tapioca starch be used in place of corn starch ?  If so how much would be right?

  5. I have peeled and prepared the fruit but do not have time to add ingredients to make jam. Will it be alright in the refrigerator over night?

    Sarah

  6. My kids and I pick a bunch of persimmons from the woods. The persimmons were great right from the tree but my jam turned out having the fuzzy tongue affect. Maybe you can use back yard persimmons, or did I do something wrong?

    1. They were probably not ripe enough. You need to make sure you get very ripe persimmons for this recipe.

  7. MIne are so sweet—-like honey when over ripe I see no reason to add sugar at all. Has anyone made them without sugar?

  8. Hi Wendy, I read yr comments about making persimmon jam with Stevia In The Raw as you don’t use sugar. I want to share the research I’ve done about Stevia products because I can tell you care about health and what you put in yr body. Stevia In The Raw actually has both dextrose and maltodextrin in it and often it’s made with a sugar alcohol such as Erythritol or Xylitol (I don’t remember which without looking at my notes). I did a lot of research over the summer and did all my canning with Stevia and Pomona Universal Pectin because it jells low sugar recipes. (I would use a 1/4 cup of cane sugar or other sugar such as coconut, palm, turbinado, etc simply to have a vehicle to mix the pectin powder in to prevent lumps. The sugar alcohols are not good for the digestive tract which is why I gave up using Stevia In The Raw. I found a company in Tennessee where I could buy 100% powdered Stevia with nothing added, called Trim Healthy Mama. You can look them up online. The company is two sisters who wanted to enjoy sweet tea without the calories. Down-to-earth folks who I enjoyed speaking with (baby crying in the background, toddlers babbling. Very homey!) I have now two hundred or so jars of various jams and jellies and preserves and while some needed no sweetener as the fruit itself did the job it’s supposed to, the rest I used Stevia. It was an easy healthy summer of canning!

  9. You can use backyard persimmons but never pick them from the tree. They will not be ripe until they fall. You have to harvest them from the ground. Then I also always go the extra step of freezing whole and then thawing, before using the pulp in a recipe. This ensures sweetness.5 stars

  10. I made this last night with persimmons from my tree. I doubled the batch and used a small can of crushed pineapple in place of the lemon. It turned out really good! Thank you for sharing the recipe!5 stars

  11. Oh wow! First time I’ve played with persimmons and I am totally in love with them. This jam was quick and easy and tastes fantastic! Only change I made was to substitute lime juice for lemon juice.5 stars

  12. I would like to make this recipe. I have a bunch of purée already from the persimmons I collected from my tree. How much purée do I need to use for this recipe?

    1. Hi, I am sorry, I have not made the recipe this way, and I would regret to give you wrong directions.

    1. I haven’t tried the recipe with stevia, but I would recommend to add little by little, taste and see if its sweet enough.

  13. I am a diabetic, I have a persimmon tree in my back yard. I like to learn how to freeze and/or make jam, bake bread or us in pie filling. Could you offer recipes to me. I like surprise my family in making delicious dishes for New Years. thanks

  14. I would love to make the persimmon jam. I have a SWEET tooth. I want to know if adding more than a cup of sugar, (like 2.5 cups) will ruin this recipe?

    1. 2.5 may be too much, the texture will be very different. If you want, add 1/2 cup more and see how it works ouut.

  15. Hello
    Can you make this jam with over ripe Fuyu persimmons? Is there a taste difference between Hachiya and Fuyu? The Fuyu persimmons from my tree are very sweet, but mildly flavored.

  16. This jam is good preserved as a FROZEN jam, as you correctly state.

    But dear readers, do NOT try to preserve this jam by canning – unlike most fruit jams, it is not acidic enough to prevent the growth of botulism toxin.

    For those interested, we had some luscious ripe persimmons this evening, and the pH of the flesh was 5.9-6.1. The small amount of lemon juice won’t lower the pH enough, and the amount of sugar is not enough to make it a “water-activity-controlled” food.5 stars

  17. I find recipes that say X# of “large” (or “medium”) fruits are a problem, especially when the recipe calls for a certain amount of sugar. Pls specify the amount of puree fruit per 1 cup of sugar. That will allow me to adjust the sugar if I don’t have enough puree or increase it if I have too much.

  18. Sorry about my prior comment. I read the article and general directions but not the recipe all the way through. I just did and found the info I was looking for but not until the 2nd of the recipe “Instructions” do you say “1 1/2-2 cups” of persimmon puree. It would be better to add that clarification to the recipe “Ingredients”, i.e., “6 large persimmons, peeled (1 1/2-2 cups of puree)”.

  19. You must havea different persimmon. Ours are about the size of a peeled walnut and has many seeds. They are much larger and plentiful this year in Indiana.