【Hoshigaki】How to make simple Japanese Dried Persimmon.

Hello. Please call me kay.

In Japan, it generally will be time to start making dried persimmons from October.　Because Japanese persimmons begin to rip on trees from October.

This time, we’ll show you how to make a traditional homely Japanese dried persimmon.

Very simple, anyone can make it

Types of persimmons that is suitable for Hoshigaki.

There are many varieties of persimmon in Japan.

Astringent persimmons are suitable for dried persimmons（Hoshigaki）.

Classification	Famous varieties	Hoshigaki
pollination constant astringent  With or without seeds, always black spots in astringent persimmon are not formed.	西条 Saijo persimmon 愛宕 Atago persimmon 市田柿 Ichidagaki persimmon	GOOD
pollination variant astringent	刀根早生 Tonewase persimmon 平核無 Hiratanenashi persimmon 甲州百目（蜂屋柿） Hachiya persimmon	GOOD
pollination variant non-astringent	西村早生 Nishimurawase persimmon 筆柿 Fudegaki persimmon 禅寺丸 Zenjimaru persimmon	Not GOOD
pollination constant non-astringent sweet persimmon Regardless of the presence or absence of seeds, it is naturally removal of astringency and always sweet persimmon.Slightly black spots are formed in the pulp.	御所 Gosho persimmon 富有 Fuyu persimmon 次郎 Jiro persimmon	ＢＡＤ

The astringent persimmon is caused by tannins. Since no longer feel the astringency of the tannins by the dried persimmons, it feels sweet.

Pollination constant non-astringent “Sweet persimmon” is unsuitable for dried persimmons because nature and astringence will escape and become sweet.

Because pollination variant non-astringent becomes sweet persimmon and astringent persimmon depending on the presence or absence of seeds, it is difficult to make it dried persimmons.

Because we do not feel tannins by dried persimmons, astringent persimmons that can not be naturally de-astringency are suitable for dried persimmons（Hoshigaki）.

In addition, since sugar content itself is more of astringent persimmon higher than sweet persimmon, astringent persimmon is as strongly felt the sweetness of the dried persimmon.

Persimmon variety of my house and haanging place.

The persimmon at my house is a variety called Saijo. Saijo persimmon is a variety suitable for dried persimmons because it is astringent persimmon. This persimmon has been dried persimmons in Japan as a preserved food from over 500 years ago.

Choosing a place is important to make dried persimmons.

1. A place not exposed to rain.
2. Well ventilated place.
3. A place where the sun’s light hits well.

These three are conditions for easily making dried persimmons.

In particular, it is very important to choose a place not exposed to rain.

The primary cause of failing dried persimmons is to decay dried persimmons and generate molds. Be sure to avoid getting wet in the rain.

How to choose fruits for dried persimmons. The idea of the time to start making.

First of all, please look at the next picture.

What kind of impressions do you have?

Do you think that “I’m still immature fruit,” “not too early to harvest.”

No, fruits in an immature state make it easier to make dried persimmons.

For example, please look at the next picture.

The peel is stained a little orange.

The color of the pericarp changed from green to orange because the fruit ripened on the tree.

This persimmon orange colored state is the permissible range that can be dried persimmon.

In order to make dried persimmons, the pretreatment before hanging them persimmons is easier for as much immature green state as possible.

The immature green state is tightly hard in the fruit. It is easy to peel the persimmon of the skin and also has the advantage that the surface is easy to dry even after drying.

On the other hand, in the ripe state, it is natural that the fruit becomes soft and difficult to peel off the skin, and even if it hangs the surface does not dry easily, also it makes it easier to rot by fruit juice dripping.

In the state of the picture above, both can be dried persimmons, but it is more difficult to fail if you choose green and immature astringent persimmons on the right side as much as possible.

Then you can understand when you will naturally start making dried persimmon.

The astringent persimmon of my house is Saijo persimmon.

In early October, it will begin to ripen on the trees and some fall on a high wind day.

So at my house I start to make persimmon from the beginning of October when the persimmon will start to color.

Depending on the variety, since it will begin to ripe from November, I hope that you will prepare green astringent persimmons that will allow you to check the area and varieties in which you are living and the coloring started.

By the way, the smaller one is easier to make dried persimmons.

Although the bigger one has eaten filling, it is hard to dry, it is easier to mold and fail, so it is easier for smaller persimmons.

However, there is one point to note.

From the head of October, when my house persimmon (Saijo persimmon) begins to ripe on the tree I start to make dried persimmon from the green fruit.

However, this is only an example.

In japan, October still has high daylight temperatures.

There may be times when we know that a typhoon is coming up.

It is such a time is perishable because of the high temperature, there is also easy to moldy by storm.

Depending on the weather of that year・area・varieties, it is a matter of delaying the making of dried persimmons.

How to make simple dried persimmons. Peel off the skin, just hang. Only two points.

Since the old-fashioned recipe for home use, the procedure is simple.

Just peel off the skin of astringent persimmons and just hang it under the eaves.

It just peels off the skin with a fruit knife, but there are two points.

One thing is to never remove the astringent persimmon stem.

This T shape of the stem is an important place to hook on a string when hanging under the eaves.

Please make sure to leave a stem.

The other is to leave the skin of the persimmon tip.

You might be wondering, but it is a very important point.

It’s the opposite side of the stem. I do not know whether to express it as a tip or as a bottom, but please refer to the above picture.

Be sure to leave this skin.

This is the experience of those who have gone before us.

If you do not leave this skin, the hung persimmon will collapse shape without being able to support the pulp inside.

Also, fruit juice easily drips from the tip and it becomes easy to rot.

Be sure to leave the skin of the tip without fail.

When eating dried persimmon, please bit this part and throw it away.

In such a way, afterwards it will be completed, if you hang a peeled astringent persimmon in the eaves. Of course, it is a place where three conditions are satisfied.

1. A place not exposed to rain.
2. Well ventilated place.
3. A place where the sun’s light hits well.

I will hang the T shape of the stem I left earlier in about 2 turns around the string that I lowered from the eaves and hang in turn.

If you mention caution points here, it is to make sure that persimmons do not touch each other as much as possible.

If persimmons are bumping each other, it will be difficult to dry up and fruit juice will be easy to accumulate, so it will become extremely rot easily.

Please hang with a margin in the interval.

Incidentally, in order to make the hanging of dried persimmons successful, there is a method of blanching the astringent persimmon that has peeled off in hot water for about 5 to 10 seconds and wiping the surface with a towel or the like.

Just because it is very troublesome I will not recommend it.

Even if you do not do such a thing, choosing a small astringent persimmon in green, just hanging it under the eaves that does not hit the rain reduces the possibility of mold occurrence considerably.

If the persimmon hit the rain, fly will also occur, so please do not be exposed to rain.

Finally. Summary.

Do not you think it seemed easy to make dried persimmons（Hosgigaki）?

Of course it is a method that has been done since a long time in my house, so some people may feel that the way they do be different.

Moreover, what I introduced this time will be categorized as a fairly easy way of making. Even with this method, however, you can do very sweet and delicious dried persimmons.

The method taught on other websites in Japan is just a full-fledged way to make it by professionals.

Who can do troublesome work of blanching hot water?

I will summarize the important points.

Only this much is that.

There are times when molds and spoiled persimmon may come out.We can improve gradually with repeated experiences.

I like this old-fashioned way best in my house.

How long is the drying date?

By the way, when can I eat dried persimmons?

In the method introduced this time, the dried persimmon will gradually turn black. Even if this peel is black, the astringent can escape without problems and we will be able to eat sweet dried persimmons.

If you want to eat good looking dried delicious persimmon, there is also a way to massage the hung persimmon lightly after about 2 weeks since drying. (But I do not because it is troublesome.)

Either way, You’ll be able to start eating in about approximately 3 to 4 weeks from the hanging began. It may also be eaten in the dry days of about 10 days from hanging at the earliest.

However, since the extent of astringency is greatly influenced by the environment of the year, you need to take one to try to eat, and it is necessary to estimate the best time.

Dried persimmon fruit may look like wizened tomato.

Only the number of days hanging out is good for eating cannot be determined.

By the way, I can dry like a black mummy by drying for about 3 months. I like domestic persimmons in this state, but would you like to try it too?

Astringent persimmon (Saijo persimmon) that ripe on the tree is also excellent.

Saijo persimmon is classified as pollination constant astringent. 

Pollination constant astringent persimmon and pollination variant astringent persimmon leave until ripening on the tree, not only will be the astringent tannins completely escape, but the fruit pulp also becomes an excellent strong sweet persimmon.

It is really the best delicious persimmon, but it is very difficult to intentionally make it. There are two reasons.

• The sweetness is strong and there is no astringency so that the birds are always trying to eat.
• Because it is perfectly ripe, it will fall as soon as the big wind blows. And it will squash.

There are times when it is being sold under the Jyukushi（熟柿） at direct marketing shops such as Road Station. Because it is very tasty, It is recommended that you try to eat if there is to be in if eyes.