Looking for a personalized gift this season? Make our easy 3-ingredient persimmon jam and pair it with a foie gras torchon. It’s sure to impress food lovers or your holiday hosts and be the hit of any potluck party (we taste-tested it with foie gras to be sure). Read on for the simple recipe, suitable even for first-time canners.
Shop for foie gras torchon at dartagnan.com – along with every other tasty thing for the holidays.
Made the traditional way, our torchon has only a few simple and natural ingredients and offers the essence of foie gras: purity of flavor, creamy, delicate texture, and luxurious richness.
The way it’s enjoyed in France is with confiture – preserves – with a balance of tart and sweet notes. Golden persimmons are just the right fruit. They are in season this time of year and give this easy DIY jam its bright and beautiful color – perfect for a festive holiday.
A Note About Persimmons
Persimmons come in several varieties; the most common are Fuyu (flattish and squat) and Hachiya (acorn shaped). The former is low in tannins and can be eaten when unripe, but the Hachiya persimmon must be ripened to be enjoyed, as the high levels of tannins make it astringent.
When making jam, you can use a combination of both types, as we did. Let the Hachiya type ripen – and take a taste before you commit the fruits to the jam pot to be sure they are ready. Persimmons contain natural pectin, so there is no need to add any to make it into jam.
This recipe makes about six 8-ounce jars. Our choice was a smaller 4-ounce Ball jar, which will provide plenty of jam for our 5-ounce foie gras torchon.
Easy Persimmon Preserves Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ lbs persimmons (about 6-8 pieces of fruit)
- 1 ½ lbs sugar
- 3 ½ tbs lemon juice
- Cinnamon or vanilla, optional
The day before:
- Wash, peel and seed, and chop the persimmons.
- Put the persimmon pulp in a large bowl/container, add sugar and lemon juice and mix well.
- Cover with plastic film and let sit for 24 hours.
Preparation
- Sterilize your mason jars. Check the Ball website for detailed instructions on water bath canning.
- Put the fruit mixture into a pot (copper if you have) and bring slowly to a boil, until sugar has dissolved, stirring frequently with a wooden spatula.
- Raise the heat and boil to about 104C/219F (use a probe thermometer). Jam is temperamental and depends on the amount of sugar added and the pectin content of the fruit to thicken. Use the cold plate test* to check consistency.
- Turn off the burner and ladle the jam immediately into your still-hot sterilized jars. Seal and flip over, and leave on the counter upside-down to complete cooling.
Tips
- Flavor with vanilla bean or cinnamon if you like. Add one of them during the cooking process.
- Don’t puree the pulp or the pieces, it’s better to keep some pieces for the best jam texture.
- Even for experienced canners, jam is unpredictable. Everything from the width of the pot you use to cook it, the amount of sugar, the elevation and the humidity can influence the outcome.
*Place a few small plates in the freezer. When the jam seems to be cooked, drop a small spoonful at the center of a cold plate. Let it sit for a minute and then prod it with your finger. If there is a surface skin, and the jam has a thick consistency, then it is done. If it’s still runny, cook it a few more minutes.
Please tell us how you like this persimmon jam with foie gras – and share any photos of your finished product with us on social media!
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