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Hoshigaki [
discussion] are a Japanese delicacy made by gently
massaging persimmons while they air dry. The persimmons used to
make the sweet hoshigaki are the astringent varieties such as Hachiya. The first
step is to cut the top off, while carefully leaving the stem that
they will hang from. Next you peel the skin off the fruit leaving
a tip of skin on the underside opposite the stem. This helps to
prevent sugars from the fruit dripping. Cut a length of string and
tie it into a loop. Take two similarly sized fruits and tie their
stems together with the string. A 2 inch diameter pole
(traditionally bamboo) is just about right to keep the persimmons
separated (see below). Hang the persimmons in a sunny window.
Leave the fruits to dry for a week without
touching them. After a week has passed you begin to gently massage
each persimmon every other day, a light touch rather than a deep
tissue massage. After a few weeks of massaging, fructose in the
fruit will begin to come to the surface, making it look like the
persimmons have been dipped in powdered sugar. The fruits are
ready when they have a chewy texture. In Japan, persimmons are
dried by hanging them from the eaves of houses. |
