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Drinking in Season: Persimmon Sour
[Photographs: Kelly Carámbula]
You may have noticed the orange fruit that looks like a cousin to the tomato, but have you tried a persimmon lately? There are two common varieties available in the United States: Fuyu and Hachiya. Fuyu persimmons are light to bright orange with a round shape, and are non-astringent, which means they can be eaten when they're firm or ripe.
Hachiya, on the other hand, have a deeper orange color with a cone-like shape. These should be eaten quite ripe—when soft, near mushiness—or else they'll have a very unpleasant flavor. If it's very ripe, you can even scoop out the flesh with a spoon and eat the slightly sweet, earthy and sticky flesh.
When incorporating persimmons into seasonal cocktails, the first step is to make a purée. This slightly thick, bright orange liquid has notes of sweet earthiness. To bring a little punch to the cocktail, I added lime and gin to create a persimmon sour. The final cocktail is a bold, orange-hued drink that is at first sour, then earthy and rich. It's the kind of drink that will keep you on your toes.
About the author: Kelly Carámbula blogs about her adventures in the kitchen, including a weekly happy hour, on eat make read. She is also the founder and publisher of Remedy Quarterly, an independent food magazine.
Drinking in Season: Persimmon Sour
About This Recipe
| Yield: | makes 1 cocktail |
| Active time: | 10 minutes |
| Total time: | 10 minutes |
| Special equipment: | blender, cocktail shaker |
Ingredients
- For persimmon purée:
- 2 non-astringent persimmons, such as fuyu
- 1/2 to 1 ounce simple syrup, to taste
- For the cocktail:
- 1 1/2 ounce persimmon purée
- 1 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 3/4 ounces gin
- Garnish: lime slice
Procedures
-
1
First, make a persimmon purée by blending two persimmons—stem removed—with 1/2 to 1 ounce simple syrup (to taste) in a blender.
-
2
In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine 1 1/2 ounces persimmon purée, with gin and lime juice. Shake for 15 seconds.
-
3
Strain into a glass and garnish with a lime slice.
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