Whether you prepare this persimmon jam recipe for yourself or to give out to friends, you'll find this recipe both easy and delicious! My favorite way to enjoy persimmon jam is on sourdough toast with a light layer of cream cheese, yum!
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Lately, I have been making a lot of jams. Today, however, we're focusing on persimmon jam! We'll be using a combination of Hachiya and Fuyu persimmons to make this jam. Although there are other varieties, including Cinnamon and Sweet Pumpkin, I have not tried this recipe with them.
I follow a similar ratio for most of my jams (apple preserves, fig preserves, plum preserves, and strawberry-fig preserves), to name a few. So get your hands on some ripe orange Hachiya and Fuyu persimmons and let's get this party started!
🫙 How to Make Persimmon Jam
Step 1: Rinse, peel, and pulp enough Fuyu and Hachiya persimmons to yield 2 pounds of pulp. Use a kitchen scale to get an accurate weight. Puree using a food processor or blender.
Step 2: Add persimmon pulp to a medium-sized saucepan and cover with 3 cups of sugar. Sprinkle with cinnamon, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Stir all the ingredients and bring the mixture to a rolling boil over medium-high heat.
Step 3: Stir the jam occasionally to prevent burning, and simmer for an additional 25 minutes, or until thickened. Because of the high content of pectin in persimmons, this jam thickens up a lot quicker than most jams.
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Step 4: Ladle hot jam into sterilized jars and process in a boiling water bath for an additional ten minutes. For higher altitudes, add an additional 5 minutes.
🤷🏻♀️ Recipe FAQs
Persimmons are native to China and come in many varieties; the two most common being Hachiya and Fuyu.
Hachiya persimmons are very astringent because they contain a high content of tannins. As a result, they are undesirable to eat until very ripe and mushy. They are perfect for making Persimmon Bread!
Fuyus, on the other hand, have fewer tannins and may be eaten while crisp. If you have the Fuyu variety, be sure to check out my Fuyu Persimmon Preserves recipe.
Hachiya persimmons have shiny skin and a sweet, jelly-like texture. When ripe, they taste super sweet and don't even require teeth to enjoy; I'm not kidding! You can literally suck the pulp right out of the soft skin.
Fuyu persimmons, on the other hand, have a firmer texture, similar to juicy apples. Fuyu persimmons taste good even while firm, while Hachiya persimmons need to be very soft in order to avoid the astringent taste.
Persimmon skin is very soft, delicate, and easy to eat. Although some choose to peel the skin and eat the flesh inside. Ultimately, it comes down to personal preference.
• Persimmons boast a wealth of health benefits, including the following:
• A great source of antioxidants.
• Abundant amounts of vitamins B, C, and thiamin.
• Aid digestion
• Improve eyesight
• Reducing the risk of cancer
• Build up the immune system
• Lower blood pressure
• Aid weight loss.
If you'd like to grow a persimmon tree, I'm happy to report that they do well in the U.S., in Zones 4 through 9.
👩🏼🍳 Pro Tips
- If you don't use ripe Hachiya persimmons, the end result will be an astringent-tasting jam that's hard to eat.
- Because persimmons have high pectin content, never add extra pectin to persimmon jam, or the texture will be too thick.
- If you have a large harvest of ripe persimmons, you can peel and puree the persimmon flesh and freeze it in one to two-cup portions. The pulp can be used to make persimmon bread, jam, and protein shakes.
🍑 More Jam Recipes
If you enjoy this persimmon jam recipe, check out these other related recipes!
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📖 Recipe
Persimmon Jam
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Rinse, peel, and pulp enough Fuyu and Hachiya persimmons to yield 2 pounds of pulp. Use a kitchen scale to get an accurate weight. Puree using a food processor or blender.
- Add persimmon pulp to a medium-sized saucepan and cover with 3 cups of sugar. Add cinnamon, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Stir all the ingredients and bring the mixture to a rolling boil over medium-high heat.
- Stir occasionally to prevent burning, and simmer for an additional 25 minutes, or until thickened. Because of the high content of pectin in persimmons, this jam thickens up a lot quicker than most jams.
- Pour jam into sterilized jars and process in a water bath for an additional ten minutes.
Nutrition
Notes
- If you don't use ripe Hachiya persimmons, the end result will be an astringent-tasting jam that's hard to eat.
- Because persimmons have high pectin content, never add extra pectin to persimmon jam, or the texture will be too thick.
- If you have a large harvest of ripe persimmons, you can peel and puree the persimmon flesh and freeze in one to two-cup portions. The pulp can be used to make persimmon bread, jam, and protein shakes.
Cathy Joplin says
I have Hachiya Persimmons. With the fruit mushy ripe I remove the skins and attempted to make the jam. It turned out to have the astringent effect in my mouth. I am attempting again, this morning, to make the jam.As I was seperating the pulp I noticed the framework of the meat, I pulled some out and tasted it, and realized that the astringent taste was present. I will go forward with my attempt, but wanted to know if when using the meat in baking do I need to remove that framework?I love making preserves, but this has been a challenge. Fortunately I have a friend with a tree and have quite a few persimmons in my freezer to play with.
Hilda Sterner says
Hi Cathy,
Persimmons can be surprisingly tricky, so you’re definitely not alone. By “framework,” it sounds like you’re noticing the fibrous membranes and internal structure of the fruit, which is completely normal in Hachiya persimmons. That structure itself doesn’t need to be removed for baking or jam, but the astringent, mouth-puckering taste means the fruit wasn’t quite ripe enough yet, even if it felt soft. Hachiyas need to be extremely ripe — almost pudding-soft and translucent inside — before that bitterness disappears. Freezing can help soften the fruit, but it won’t fully remove astringency unless the persimmons were fully ripe before freezing. For jam, many people find it helpful to puree the pulp thoroughly or run it through a food mill for a smoother texture. Once Hachiyas reach full ripeness, that astringency is completely gone, and the flavor becomes wonderfully sweet and mild.
Dawn says
This seems like a wonderful recipe. Once complete can the jam store on the shelf and how long?
Hilda Sterner says
Hi Dawn, If you waterbath can it, it can be stored in the pantry for a year or more.
Marylou Hurt says
Cups. Not lbs. ??? Never have had a kitchen scale.
Hilda Sterner says
Hi Marylou, So sorry, when I created this recipe, years ago, I measured using my scale, I did not measure using cups. Kitchen scales are great for getting precise measurements and this one on Amazon is under $10. (https://amzn.to/4g4HbWR). If you don't want to purchase one, no problem. You may want to try a different recipe with cup measurement. Take care!