Hoshigaki, Dried Persimmons, 12-7-2012

Okay, now I feel like I really belong here!  I just peeled and strung up a bunch of persimmons for drying.  They're hanging in the sun on my balcony and all should be well if the pigeons stay away from them!

Evidently this is becoming a 'lost art'.  None of my friends do it.  They say only 'obaachans' (grandmas or old women) dry persimmons nowadays.  So they either buy them or get them as gifts.  But it's so easy to do!  It took me about an hour, while skyping with a friend to peel about 30 -35 persimmon.  It will take 4 - 6 weeks for them to dry, depending on the weather I suppose.  I have heard you are supposed to 'massage' them every now and then to distribute the sugars.  I'll have to get clear on how often to do that.  I think just once or twice...

It's really quite pretty, and nostolgic I suppose, to see kaki (persimmons) hanging, especially in front of old style homes.  Here are a couple of pictures of mine and my landlady's (she has 2 persimmon trees on her property and much more space to hang them).