Persimmon Pudding with Yuzu Sauce
Debbie’s mom’s recipe for Persimmon pudding with lemon sauce adapted to use Asian persimmons and Yuzus!
by Debbie Lienhart
My husband Bob and I really enjoy persimmon pudding with lemon sauce. A few weeks ago, while delivering plants in the Piedmont, I purchased some Hana Fuyu persimmons from Sweet Retreat Orchard. As the persimmons softened my thoughts turned to pudding.
Hana Fuyu is a non-astringent Japanese persimmon that can be eaten when still crunchy, like an apple, or left to soften like a tomato. The trees are hardy in our area in warmer micro climates.
Chuck and I harvested the Yuzu ichandrans from one of our stock plants in the greenhouse on Sunday and I decided to make a Yuzu sauce to go with the persimmon pudding.
Yuzu Ichandran is a Japanese citrus that tastes similar to a lime when green, changing to a flavor similar to a Meyer lemon when yellow. The trees are hardier than a Meyer lemon but didn’t survive outside in the last two very cold winters where it got down to 0 degrees. They would be fine in a warmer area or can be brought in for the winter. Chuck and I plan to keep some in the greenhouse.
Recipe
This recipe comes from my mother, Jan Pelmulder. This is a steamed pudding.
Persimmon pudding
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1 cup persimmon pulp
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup softened butter, plus some extra to coat the mold
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp soda
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup raisons
1/2 cup chopped nuts
Mix the dry ingredients. Cream the sugar and softened butter. Mix in the pulp and vanilla. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and milk. Stir in the nuts and raisons.
Put the batter in a buttered pudding mold with tight-fitting top. The batter will be really wet at this stage. Steam for 90 minutes. Test for doneness with a toothpick or cake tester. Let cool in the mold for an hour before removing the pudding from the mold.
Yuzu (or lemon) sauce
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1 well-beaten egg
1 large or 2 small yuzu or lemon grated rind and juice
Put all ingredients into a pot and cook until it comes to a boil. Stir while cooking, especially until the butter has melted. Serve while warm.