Dried Persimmons

1. Use firm fruit of long, soft varieties or fully ripe fruit of round drier varieties. Peel and slice using stainless steel knife. Drying time takes 12 to 15 hours.
2. For Fuyu variety, select firm fruit; for Hachiya variety, let fruit ripen until soft. Peel and cut into 1/4 inch slices. Dry in dehydrator/oven from 14 to 18 hours until fruit is light to medium brown; tender but not sticky. Or you may syrup blanch.

Syrup Blanching

Blanching fruit in syrup helps it retain color fairly well during drying and storage. The resulting product is similar to candied fruit.

Fruits that can be syrup blanched include: applies, apricots, figs, nectarines, peaches, pears, plums and prunes.

1. Combine 1 cup sugar, 1 cup light corn syrup and 2 cups water in a pot.
2. Bring to a boil.
3. Add 1 pound of prepared fruit and simmer 10 minutes.
4. Remove from heat and let fruit stand in hot syrup for 30 minutes.
5. Lift fruit out of syrup, rinse lightly in cold water, drain on paper towels and place on dryer trays.