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Persimmon Brandy

Posted: Mon Oct 09, 2006 1:29 pm
by C.S.S. Shenandoah
Well, it is the time of year(in the US) where persimmons are becoming readily available. Where I live, no one wants them, yet there are trees all over. So, I have decided to take advantage of this readily available source of fruit. I plan on making a persimmon wine then distilling to a persimmon brandy. If anyone has any experience with persimmons please post it. If there isn't anyone with experiance, I'm going to treat like the other brandies I have done. Here is the recipe for the wine/mash I am going to use:
20 lbs persimmons to be converted to juice
35 pints water
10 lb sugar
yeast
pectin enzyme
intial gravity=1.085

I am out of pectin enzyme right now, and I am wondering if it is ok to not use it.

Thanks.

Posted: Mon Oct 09, 2006 3:55 pm
by Uncle Remus
I've never even heard or persimmons? What are they? :?

Posted: Mon Oct 09, 2006 4:03 pm
by C.S.S. Shenandoah
Persimmons are a large orange colored fruit. There are many varieties of them, so their characteristics are fairly diverse. There are two main types are Japanese persimmons, which are hard and sweet, and generally like an apple. The other kind is larger and squishy. I am using the larger squishy kind because it is more available and has alot more juice in it. There are many recipes on persimmon wine on the net, but not any on persimmon brandy. I've heard of people talking about persimmon brandy, but I have never seen it personally. Sorry for the lack of technical terms.

Posted: Mon Oct 09, 2006 7:30 pm
by Tater
Been wanting to try them myself.Sure take a lot of them time ya get rid of skin and seed.Ones around here I figure will take twice as much fruit to get same amount of pulp as like amount of peaches or plums. Was told by old timers that best if only used fruit that had fallen as persimmions arn't sweet till they do usally after a frost .Hell of it is deer eat then soon as they fall.Be a fruit Id for sure freeze first.I wouldnt worry about the pectin enzyme.

Posted: Mon Oct 09, 2006 8:58 pm
by C.S.S. Shenandoah
Alright, I guess I'll try freezing it. It's going to be a pain taking off all that skin on those sloshy things, like you said, but if I'm lucky it will be worth it. The ones I use get very very sloshy and liquiddy. As soon as they are ripe, you can shake the tree and the whole fruit will slip right off it's stem. Thanks tater. It'll be a while before this gets done, but I'll post the results when I'm done. If anyone's got any other experience please post it thanks.

Posted: Tue Oct 10, 2006 1:02 am
by Hackers
This may help?

DAILY INTELLIGENCER, [ATLANTA, GA], November 8, 1863, p. 4, c. 2

Recipe for Persimmon Brandy.

Editors Charleston Courier:

Put the persimmons in common tubs, mash them well with your hands, or small pestles, then empty into the stand till you have it half full, then add enough of warm water to fill it, then stir or churn it well.--Fermentation will begin at once in temperate weather, and they should be distilled in five or six days. They will make about half a gallon to the bushel. I have made three runs--distilling in seven to ten days after putting up, and they did well. Many others waited two or three weeks, and made nothing but sour, disagreeable water. I am thus convinced that they should be distilled even sooner than I did. The distillation is the same as for other brandies or whiskey. But another important item is, to save the seeds of the persimmons after they have boiled, and you let out the slop, for they are excellent for coffee, rather stronger or rougher than the genuine Rio; hence I mix two parts of dried sweet potatoes to one of persimmon seed. Dr. Buck says this coffee is equal to Java coffee. By the boiling the seeds are rid of all mucilaginous substances, and are just right for coffee or button. If you use them for buttons the washer woman will hardly break them with her battling stick. For coffee they should be parched twice as long as any other substitute; so as to make them tender to the center.
Alabama.

If not at least it makes interesting reading 8)

Posted: Tue Oct 10, 2006 4:05 am
by Tater
That recipe was written during war of northern aggression.Bet real coffie was hard to come by. Way I did peaches in this post will work for persimmions to http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... 49#6706449

Posted: Tue Oct 10, 2006 8:56 am
by C.S.S. Shenandoah
Thanks again. A lot of useful information. I'll be sure to update ,when I finish, possibly with pictures. I guess there were some good things to come out of the War of Northern Agression. :shock:

Posted: Tue Oct 10, 2006 2:56 pm
by TRANSPLANTED HILLBILLY
mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Persimmon pie. havent had it since my paw-paw died.
Grandma said it was too much fuss. Guess she liked him more than she did me. :shock:

Re: Persimmon Brandy

Posted: Wed May 12, 2010 12:18 am
by blanikdog
persimmons aren't all that popular it would seem cos a search starts and finishes at 2006, but that is about to change! In spite of my saying that I'll never bother with fruit again I find that I will soon by getting around 50+kg of them. I already have 20kg. :roll:

I can't eat 'em all so I guess the only option is to drink 'em. If there have been any successes a bit more recently I'd love to here something about it.

I'll lay a penny to a pound that dunder has the answer. Thanks dunder :)

blanik

Re: Persimmon Brandy

Posted: Wed May 12, 2010 6:09 am
by Dnderhead
its not done commercially, as one unripe fruit spoils the hole batch. they should be picked after frost even after snow,
they can give you the shits if eaten raw (do to sugar)and the opposite after being cooked. (do to tannin)) sugar is about 18%
and yes they do make wine, and brandy, thou not done in a big way . they do have a brown one (called chocolate?) that is not bitter.
but never got ahold of those. some place I have a recipe for wine,mite give you a place to start, (if I find it Ill post on "wine")
as most fruit you want a bag to remove the pulp, nylon works the best,(if you make a bag make it rounded on bottom and to fit over fermenter, place over fermenter this will hold it while filling then gather and host it up ,a small block and tackle works the best) then just let it
"drip dry" covering with a sheet like a tent to keep the bugies out. as this takes awhile (about a day/night)