The persimmons are here!

Ripe fuyu persimmons

Though the Central Texas climate offers us only about 2 weeks of Fall weather, and it's usually too hot even by Halloween to wear a complicated costume without schvitzing, there is one hallmark of fall that is worth celebrating--the arrival of the persimmons. I did not even know about this fruit until a couple of years ago and boy am I making up for lost time. I know that there are numerous culinary applications for persimmons, but I prefer to drink them.

There are two types of persimmons that grow here that i know of. There are the tomato-shaped ones called fuyus. And then there are the hachiya persimmons, which are a little bit bigger than the fuyus and have a slightly cleaner pulp by my experience. There is also a native "texas persimmon" which is black, and I have yet to try it. As far as I know, they are all (except the fuyus) quite astringent until they ripen, at which point they undergo an almost immediate transformation in texture and flavor.

The persimmon is a rather finnicky fruit because it takes time and patience before the fruit is ready to be utilized in a cocktail. They remain relatively hard until right before they become ripe, and then they turn to mush within a few days. When they feel totally gloopy is when they are ready to be used. I use the following method for separating the pulp/muck/"nectar/ooze from the seeds and skin. I don't know what the actual term is for the naturally pureed guts of a persimmon, but here is how to go about procuring it:

1. After washing the fruit and plucking off the stem, I tear its skin and mash it into a strainer set over a bowl or mixing cup

2. With a spatula, press the persimmon guts around the strainer to extract maximum puree. Scrape the guts off the bottom of the strainer as well.

3. Because of the labor-intensive nature of this process and because of the short season of persimmons (literally only a few weeks), I suggest processing quite a few at a time. This will also allow you to freeze some of the puree in ice cubes to use later on. The 2 1/2 cups of puree shown here came from eight smallish persimmons

Those are actually not lemons but small mexican limes that I got from a local farmer's kid at the farmer's market.

The recipe that I use to make this Persimmarita is based on the margarita recipe propagated by Paula Angerstein of Paula's Texas Spirits--2oz tequila, 2oz PTO, 1 oz lime, 1 oz. water. My love affair with Paula and her products is NO secret, as I include them in as many recipes as I see appropriate. Paula's margarita, while it didn't sweep the Bobarita contest this summer as we expected it would (mosty likely because popular taste and good taste do not always coincide), is one of my favorites. For one thing, it has a whopping 4oz of spirits in it, which might account for why everybody gets so festive when the go over to Paula's house. For another it tastes the way a margarita should tatse, just boozey and tart enough and not overly sweet. I substitute the 1oz. of water for 2oz. of persimmon puree. This resulting drink is a perfect pint-sized margarita, or you could divide into two more reasonable drinks. The drink is bright and orangy, with a velvety suppleness from the persimmons. Way drinkable.

Persimmon Margarita
2 oz. Reposado Tequila, like Tradicional or Hornitos
2 oz. Paula's Texas Orange
1 oz. Fresh-squeezed lime juice
2 oz. Fresh ripe persimmon puree
Build drink over ice in a cocktail strainer. Shake and strain over ice in a pint glass. Repeat.