Make the most of persimmons by making a Persimmon Syrup you can use for drinks, cocktails, desserts, and more! Persimmons are such a unique fruit but can be tricky to eat. Once they are ripe, turn them into a delicious fall-inspired syrup.
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Why I Love This Recipe
I love Persimmon Simple Syrup because it captures the delightful essence of ripe persimmons, infusing its sweet and slightly tangy flavors into a versatile syrup that enhances a wide range of beverages, like my Bourbon Persimmon Cocktail, and desserts. Its vibrant orange hue and luscious taste create a captivating sensory experience that keeps me coming back for more.
What Are Persimmons?
There are two common varieties of Asian persimmons, the Fuyu and the Hachiya. I used the Hachiya variety in this recipe. Hachiya persimmons are a light orange color when picked, heart or acorn-shaped, and can be astringent.
They have a high amount of tannins so you do not want to bite into one until it is super soft and ripe (trust me on this one). Fuyu persimmons are more round-shaped. They also have tannins but are much less astringent than the Hachiya variety. You can eat this type more like an apple when it is still firm.
When Is a Hachiya Persimmon Ready to Eat?
Hachiya persimmons will ripen at room temperature. Although you want to pick them when they are firm and light orange, you do not want to eat them yet! You will know the fruit is ready to eat when it feels soft to the touch, like a very ripe tomato, and the color has become much darker.
How to Make Persimmon Syrup
Step 1: Cut and hull the persimmons and place them in a small saucepan. There is a small, hard seed pocket in the middle you want to discard.
Step 2: Add the water sugar, and cinnamon stick to a medium saucepan on the stove and stir to combine.
Step 3: Bring the ingredients to a boil. Stir and boil for 4-5 minutes and then remove from the heat.
Step 4: Allow the syrup to steep until cool, about 1 hour. Remove the cinnamon stick and strain the syrup through a fine-mesh strainer. Discard or use the sugary fruit pulp for something else.
How to Store Homemade Persimmon Syrup
Store this homemade syrup in a sealable bottle or container in the fridge. The syrup will last for 4-5 days in the fridge. I find that a slip-top bottle or screw-top bottle works best but you can also use a canning jar.
What to do with Persimmon Syrup
As mentioned you can make a cocktail like this beautiful Bourbon Persimmon Cocktail shown below! If you don't like bourbon, this syrup is also delicious with vodka and some club soda or in a margarita.
This syrup isn't just for cocktails. You can also pour it over ice cream or pancakes or add it to apple cider or tea for a fall-inspired drink.
More Homemade Syrup Recipes to Check Out
If you get a chance to make this Persimmon Syrup recipe, tag me on Instagram or Facebook and show me, or leave a review below! You can also follow me on Pinterest and sign up for my e-mail list to receive more fun and delicious recipes in your inbox.
Persimmon Syrup
Ingredients
- 2 ripe persimmons, diced or squeezed (I used Hachiya variety)
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup water
- 1 cinnamon stick
Instructions
- Cut and hull the persimmons and place them in a small saucepan.
- Add the water sugar, and cinnamon stick and bring to a boil. Stir and boil for 4-5 minutes and then remove from the heat.
- Allow the syrup to steep until cool, about 1 hour.
- Remove the cinnamon stick and strain the syrup through a fine-mesh strainer. Discard or use the sugary fruit pulp for something else (like a cocktail!). Place the syrup in a sealable container and store it in the fridge. The syrup will last for 4-5 days.
Nutrition
Any nutrition calculations are only estimates using online calculators. Please verify using your own data.
Sheri Murphy says
Do you think I could freeze the syrup after making it? Not ready to use it just yet but want to take advantage of the ripe persimmons.
Emily says
Hi Sheri, yes, absolutely you can freeze the syrup for later. Enjoy!
Ruben says
I used this as a base for making persimmon liqueur.
I scaled up the recipe based on my volume of fruit. Added some fresh ginger, green cardamom, star anise, vanilla bean, and tonka bean.
My peeled fuyu weren’t too ripe so they didn’t break down in boiling so I mashed them a little and cooked for about 3 hrs.
Slowly strained and pressed through cheese cloth to get no pulp but still nice colour. I further simmered this down to about 50% to concentrate the flavour.
I then thinned it by 30% with overproof white rum to yield a ~20% ABV result.
Just yummy!
Emily says
Ruben, your liqueur sounds amazing! Do you ship, LOL!! Cheers 🥂 and thanks for trying my recipe.
Nadia says
I'm wondering if I can juice the persimmons first and would that change the amount of water to use? I would only be using the juice of the fruit and not the fruit itself.
Emily says
HI Nadia, you certainly could do that and you get a similar result. My recipe yields a pretty thick syrup when it has cooled completely, but I'm sure juice only with less water would also work. If it's too thick, you can always add water to thin it out some. Enjoy!
Queen of Glean says
delicious tasting, but this absolutely didn't work. I used hachiya persimmons and the resulting mixture was extremely thick after an hour. I strained about 0.5 cups of liquid off that wasn't orange like the pulp, but instead milky white. it tasted terrific but wasn't syrup. I was excited about the possibility, but also skeptical of them recipe since persimmon has a ton of pectin and is used more like bananas and apples in baked goods
Emily says
I'm sorry this syrup didn't work out for you. I wonder if the persimmons weren't ripe enough (very soft to the touch)? The recipe also calls for only 5 minutes of boiling before steeping, I'm not sure if you were referring to an hour of cooking, but that would certainly change the recipe. I have not had the same experience you are describing, but I know how tricky persimmons can be. Thanks for trying the recipe!
DM says
Have eaten Persimmon pudding, but never a cocktail. This is a must !!
Emily says
Persimmon pudding is on my list.😀 You will love this syrup!
Julie says
You are literally the QUEEN of syrups I cannot wait to try this one! The last few were UNREAL!!
Emily says
LOL, thanks! I do love homemade syrups.😊 I hope you enjoy this one too!
Cindy Mom the Lunch Lady says
I've never tried persimmon before, but look at that gorgeous colour to this syrup! It looks delicious!
Emily says
I hope you find some persimmons and get to try this. They are such an interesting fruit.
Bobbie says
This sounds so good! I’ve never tried persimmons but this is on my shopping list!
Emily says
Persimmons are a unique fruit for sure, but if you find some, you gotta make this syrup!
Shilpa says
This looks so good. It’s going to be a perfect addition to the party I’m hosting next week. Thanks for sharing.
Emily says
I hope it's a hit at your party!
Nora says
Never thought about making a syrup out of persimmon before. After reading your suggestions about what to do with it, I have to try this out! Thank you!
Emily says
I hope you love it!
Sue says
This looks wonderful! I'm a vodka girl, so that's what this delicious syrup will be used for in my house!
Emily says
Oh yes, this syrup will be so good with vodka. Cheers!
Carol Ciccone says
OMG....perfection! I used fuyu persimmons mainly because my neighbor has a tree! This came out great & was delish in my morning latte. Can't wait to try it with bourbon!
Emily says
Thanks, CArol, I'm so glad you like this recipe. I miss our neighbors tree immensely. Enjoy!