Persimmon is probably my wife's favorite fruit. She will always buy too much for her to eat before the fruit goes bad, so she gives it away to friends, freezes it to use in marinades, and dries it for persimmon tea. She will save the peels from the fruit she eats and dry that along with any fruit she has left after gifting and freezing.

In Korea, people harvest persimmons and then hang them outside or in windows under direct sunlight. These fruits can hang for weeks, often into the winter, until they transform into a sweet and chewy delicacy. The drying process concentrates the natural sugars in the fruit, resulting in a rich, caramel-like flavor.

The method below uses heat to dry instead of the sun, and is much quicker.


Ingredients
Persimmon fruit

Optional (any or all):
cinnamon
pine nuts
honey
sugar

Directions
Wash the persimmons in cold water.
Cut the top and bottom from the fruit then slice fruit into thin rounds. Dry and toast the pieces as indicated below.

Oven Dry
Pre-heat oven to lowest heat setting (170° to 200° F)
Spread the fruit rounds evenly on a flat sheet pan without crowding.
Dry the fruit for about 2 hours to 6 hours until dry and leather-like.

De-Hydrator
Follow manufacturer's instructions.

You can optionally toast the dried fruit in a dry (no oil) skillet until lightly browned.

You can store the dried fruit in a container that can be closed tightly. Keep in a cool dry space away from direct sunlight.

To make "tea":
Use about two or three pieces of dried fruit (or 1 tea bag) per 8 ounce cup of water.
Bring water to a full boil, then lower heat to a slow simmer. Add strips and simmer for a few minutes for a light tea or longer for a stronger tea. Strain tea into cups and sweeten if desired.