Extra ripe persimmon make the perfect dehydrated fruit roll-ups!
The persimmon season is a short one. Depending on when picked, they can ripen very quickly and in large numbers. Often they turn into a soft-to-touch squidgy fruit that looks far beyond usefulness…but no.
If you have fruit sitting in your fruit bowl, or intrigued by the low $1.99kg prices at your local grocer, you’ll know this is the last of the locally grown persimmon this year.
Home dehydrated fruit make for great lunch box snacks, pure fruit ‘sweets’ to nibble on, used in baking and even as a garnish to adorn a cocktail.
Dehydrated persimmons need no added sugar. Sweet on their own, once the moisture has been removed the natural sugars concentrate into a chewy delight.
I have made the investment in a food dehydrator. They aren’t cheap but generally come with many layers so you can dry a healthy quantity of fruit in a single sitting. The principle is that is aerates the fruit on a very low heat for a long period of time, 7-11 hours. While you can use your oven for this it may not be so efficient, or safe for that matter. The dehydrator on the other hand is a self contained unit and can be safely left to run overnight for example. It does ‘hum’ as the heat is fanned through the unit so I’d suggest you find a nice spot in the garage to leave it running as to not take up bench space, or keep yourself awake!
Unlike ‘freeze dried’ fruit (think freeze dried raspberries that are light and literally crumble, or banana chips that can snap between your fingers) dehydrated fruit isn’t crunchy. Expect a rubbery result (much as you would with sun-dried tomatoes or currants) that can be kept in an airtight container and used at will for months to come.
Dehydrated Persimmon Slices
This best works when the fruit is still firm enough to slice. Cut the tops off the persimmon (the flowery top) but otherwise leave the skin on. Cut into similar sized rounds. I did so with approx 5mm rounds although you can make them chunkier too. As long as they are the same size then the drying time will be consistent for all.
These slices can then be placed into the rack of the dehydrator, ensuring the fruit doesn’t touch each other. This again assists with even drying times and individual fruit segments (rather than them sticking together like glue). These racks have a grating so air flows all around the fruit.
Persimmon Fruit Roll-ups
This is perfect for mushy persimmon. Cut the tops off, then literally squeeze the ripe fruit from the skins into a blender or food processor. It will already be smooth however a few pulses in the blender will make it of similar consistency.
You will likely have a flat tray insert in your dehydrator kit. This doesn’t have grated holes and resembles a heat resistant plastic baking tray. Obviously you don’t want holes when drying puree otherwise it makes a heck of a mess. If you have a large batch of puree then one tray probably won’t be enough. In this instance take some baking paper, cut a whole in the centre (if required to fit the machine) and nestle into the existing trays. It works perfectly well.
Spread the puree evenly over the tray area, leaving a healthy centimetre at the edges to avoid any unforeseen spillage. The racks/trays then stack on each other can everything can be dehydrated together.
Follow the instructions in your dehydrator for suggested drying times and temperatures. Check after 7 hours to see how they are going. No need to turn the fruit, they’ll dry just fine in one place.
Once dry, peel from the tray or baking paper, roll into tight logs and using a knife or scissors, cut into smaller bite sized morsels.
Store in an air-tight container until ready for use.
