Chloe’s had an exciting introduction to solids, trying just about every fruit and vegetable available at the farmer’s market over the past 2 months. It’s been so exciting for us to watch her very first reactions to all these new flavors. While she has obviously enjoyed a lot of what I’ve made her, it is clear that persimmons are by far her favorite. When I first pureed some for her, I wasn’t sure how she would react. Persimmon isn’t a typical first food for a baby. It would be unlikely to find a jar of it in the baby food section at any grocery and fresh persimmons are not always easy to find, depending on what part of the country you live in. But here in California, where basically all U.S. persimmons are grown, they are everywhere you turn this time of year. I was totally surprised when Chloe ate the entire first batch I made for her — in one sitting! It was the most I had ever seen her eat.
Persimmon puree is really thick and smooth, has a beautiful bright orange hue, is sweet and is perfect for one of baby’s first foods. There are 2 varieties of persimmons_ Fuyus and Hachiyas. The tastes are similar though there are some big differences to note. Fuyus are rounder and can be eaten firm. They have an apple-like texture, where as Hachiyas are heart shaped and need to ripen until REALLY soft before you try eating them. I usually buy ripe Fuyus, and peel and chop them for this recipe (there is no cooking involved). You could also use Hachiyas for this, just make sure they are super soft before eating them yourself or using them for this puree.
Persimmons are a great source of vitamin A, C, beta-carotene and soluble fiber — which is very important for baby . Whenever you feel like your wee one is a bit constipated, just give her a “p” fruit (peaches, pears, plums, papaya and especially persimmons), because the “p” also stands for poop! Seriously, it works every time!
We used these to make this recipe: Cuisinart DLC-2 Mini Prep Plus Food Processor
Persimmon Puree
Ingredients
- 2 persimmons
Instructions
- Peel the skin off the persimmons and cut into cubes.
- Place the cut persimmon into a food processor and puree until smooth.
- Serve.
Notes
- *Place in Baby Cubes and freeze.
NICE EASY INSTRUCTION. THANK YOU.
Hi Chiya fruit are astringent, as are several other varieties, but astringency is removed by freezing or dehydrating the fruit. One year I had a friend who gave me 10 50# feed sacks filled with Hichiyas. I sliced every morning and every night to load my dehydrator. They came out delicious chips!!! We loved them!!! I dehydrate my own now, and my grands call them “Nana’s Candy”!
Do Fuyus need to be really ripe to puree?
I made puree with the Hachiyas. It tastes fine but has a texture of…. custard? Or jelly? It’s weird. Is this normal?
Hello i would like to join in
I think it’s important to note that if Hachiyas are not ripe, they are terribly bitter and drying to the mouth. Make sure to taste it before giving it to your little one.
This is a popular treat in Korea. It tastes even better when you freeze it, like ice cream. I love your receipes.. They taste good and are healthy!
You recently reposted this entry to Facebook and I wanted to say thank you. Persimmon has been, by far, my 7 month old’s favorite food! I pureed some and also put chunks in a mesh feeder. It was a winner either way.
Wish the season for persimmons lasted longer.
Cheers!
My son loves both kinds. He is 9 months now and has been having Persimmons since he was 8 months old. I mix it with plain yoghurt for him sometimes. I puree the Hachiya Persimmons with some Tofu for a little extra texture…yummy. Love your site by the way so many great ideas. Thank!!!
Would this freeze well? My little guy hardly eats a Tbs. per sitting.
My baby hated it:( I was so excited. Thought it tasted great. But he didn’t care for it 🙁 oh well!!!
Was going back through recipes-I thought that was a weird tomato at first! Live in the midwest, so we have the small, wild american persimmons that aren’t very easy to cultivate. Persimmon pudding was one of my favorite recipes growing up, so I’m hoping I can come up with something that’s as good without the several cups of sugar that are normally used.
I’ve never had a persimmon before. I finally saw them at my farmers market, bought two and made this recipe. I bought the Fuyu version and chopped and began pureeing it. I am glad I had determination to have this right, cause my first attempt at pureeing it brought it to the consistency of finely chopped apple. I knew that couldn’t be right and was wondering if I should have steamed the fruit to “make it juicy”, as there was absolutely no juice to make this a creamy puree or babyfood consistency, but I trusted in Catherine and continued to puree and so glad I did because it somehow magically turned smooth and creamy and when I tasted it, it was absolutely Delicious! Even my 2 year old is now in love with this puree. Could easily replace applesauce in our house!
I can’t wait to try this one! I love introducing our baby to new foods and colors and encourage others to experiment in my blog as wel. Thank you so much for this inspiration.