Persimmon Jam

Nov 5, 2020(updated Dec 1, 2022)

4.03 from 72 votes

35 Comments

by Becca Du

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As an Asian American, I always look forward to persimmon season in the fall. Persimmons are essentially the Asian equivalent to pumpkins in Western culture. They even look a little like mini pumpkins! I always try to come up with new recipes utilizing persimmons because I love them so much, so I thought why not make some jam this year. This persimmon jam is so simple to make, and only uses 4 ingredients.

Ingredients, Substitutions & Adjustments

Fuyu persimmons – I used fuyu persimmons for this jam. There are 2 common types of persimmons: fuyu and hachiya. Fuyu is short and squat while hachiyas are taller. The main difference between the two is fuyus can be eaten while they are firm and crisp but hachiyas need to ripen all the way. Ripe hachiyas look like a water balloon about to burst. Otherwise, they have a bitter taste. I used fuyus for this recipe because I personally like them better. This recipe could probably work with hachiya persimmons, but I haven’t tested it. The cook time will probably be different if you use hachiyas.
Lemon juice – Lemon juice adds a bit of brightness to the jam and helps preserve it.
Granulated sugar – Adds sweetness and moisture to this jam.
Salt – Brings out the flavors of the other ingredients.

Making my persimmon jam

First, remove the skins from the persimmons and cut into small pieces. Make sure to remove the stems and seeds. Add the sliced persimmons to a sauce pan with lemon juice. Heat over medium heat for 15 minutes to soften up the fruit. Use a potato masher to help the process along. After 15 minutes, add sugar and salt and stir until the sugar melts. Simmer for another 10-15 minutes to thicken up the jam. Use the potato masher to the fruit if it still seems lumpy

Test the jam by spooning a small amount onto a plate. Tilt the plate, and if it doesn’t slide, the jam should be done. Cook for a few more minutes if it fails the test. Remove the sauce pan from the heat. You can stop here if you want, but I wanted a smoother consistency, so I used an immersion blender to smooth out the jam. Spoon jam into a jar for storage. You can store the jam for up to a year in your pantry if unopened. Once opened, they last up to a month in the fridge.

Tips on how to make and store persimmon jam

Use really ripe fuyu persimmons – Ripe persimmons are the best kind to use for this jam recipe. They break down easier, and the sugars are peaking at this point, making for a sweeter jam. One trick to speed up the ripening process is to throw them into a paper bag for a few days.
Use a potato masher to soften up the persimmons – This was such a huge life savior for this recipe. Fuyu persimmons are not inherently soft even when they are really ripe, so smushing them with a potato masher helped soften them up.
Storing the jam – Homemade jams can be stored unopened in the pantry for up to a year. If opened, transfer to the fridge where they can be stored up to a month. The container you use to store your jam is really important. Jams should be stored in air tight containers. I used these glass jars for my jam.
How can you tell if my jam went bad? – Spoiled jam will smell fermented, and it may develop mold on top.

What can I eat persimmon jam with?

I love eating this jam on toast like in the image below. If you love persimmons, you can double up on the flavor with smearing some jam on persimmon bread. 🙂

Did you make this jam?

If you made this dish, I would love to see!

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Becca Du

A yummy late fall persimmon jam made with only 4 ingredients!

4.03 from 72 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Course Snack

Cuisine American, Asian

Servings 1 cups

Calories 33 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

6 fuyu persimmons cut into small pieces
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 cup granulated sugar
½ tsp salt

Instructions

Remove the skins from the persimmons and cut into small pieces. Make sure to remove the stems and seeds.
Add sliced persimmons to a sauce pan with lemon juice. Heat over medium heat for 15 minutes to soften up the fruit. Use a potato masher to help the process along.
After 15 minutes, add sugar and salt and stir until the sugar melts. Simmer for another 10-15 minutes to thicken up the jam. Use the potato masher to crush the fruit if it still seems too lumpy.
Test the jam by spooning a small amount onto a plate. Tilt the plate, and if it doesn’t slide, the jam should be done. Cook for a few more minutes if it fails the test.
Remove the sauce pan from the heat. You can stop here if you want, but I wanted a smoother consistency, so I used an immersion blender to smooth out the jam.
Spoon jam into a jar for storage. You can store the jam for up to a year in your pantry if unopened. Once opened, they last up to a month in the fridge.

Nutrition

Serving: 1tablespoonCalories: 33kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 1gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 49mgSugar: 8gVitamin C: 1mg

Keyword persimmon jam

Reader Interactions

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Comments

Pam says
December 21, 2023 at 2:27 pm

I doubled the recipe, 12 persimmons and it only made 2 eight ounce jars. Delicious, but a lot of work for so little jam!
Reply
Jennifer Emme says
December 12, 2023 at 8:57 pm

I’ll be making this tomorrow!! Was just curious though, how much does this make? Like what size canning jar should I use? Thank you! Merry Christmas
Reply
- Becca Du says
  December 13, 2023 at 7:03 am
  It made ~2 16oz mason jars. Let me know how it goes!
  Reply
Karen Holderby says
November 12, 2023 at 12:06 pm
How much did the amount of persimmons weigh? I have wild persimmons that I have processed into pulp. Can I use that pulp in this recipe?
Reply
- Becca Du says
  November 12, 2023 at 2:16 pm
  I am not sure what wild persimmons look like or taste like, so honestly, I am not sure. 1 3/4 pounds or 780 grams of persimmons in the jam.
  Reply
chanh tran says
February 28, 2023 at 10:53 am
I have a hachiyas persimon tree in my backyard. One year, the crop was so abundant (several hundred fruits on just one tree) that I hate to waste.
Make a batch of jam seems to be the logical answer. I waited for the fruits to be very ripe and soft (each feels like a sack of jelly) and cooked them (peeled) with brown sugar. The end product was so bitter tasting, not edible.
What happened was the sap in the fruits somehow coagulate and turn back to its form when the fruits were not ripe during the cooking process.
Reply
Donna says
November 20, 2022 at 9:47 am

Never having eaten or cooked with persimmons, I got two in a harvest box. I tried this simple recipe, adjusting amounts to make it work with my few persimmons. Simple, and good. Thanks for sharing.
Reply
- Becca Du says
  November 20, 2022 at 9:58 am
  Thanks for trying the recipe! So glad you enjoyed it 😊
  Reply
Angie says
November 09, 2022 at 7:12 am

Hi Becca!!!
I love persimmons!!! This recipe is awesome. I’ve made it twice. I’d make it more if persimmons were available all the time. Making your own jam is so much better than store bought. I used this to make thumb print cookies the first time making it….Delish!!! Thank you for sharing!!
Reply
- Becca Du says
  November 09, 2022 at 7:55 am
  Hi Angie. I’m so excited you enjoyed this recipe! Using it in thumb print cookies sounds amazing!!
  Reply
Dinah Manio (DLM) says
January 25, 2022 at 7:58 pm
See Also
Persimmon-Thyme Upside Down Cake

I just made this Persimmons Jam and it was delicious. I did modify it a little. I used very ripe Persimmons so there was no need to mash it. I used Lakanto Monkfruit sweetener instead of sugar. I cooked it for an hour or so until the jam thickened to the right consistency. It was so yummy!
Reply
- Becca says
  January 26, 2022 at 8:36 am
  Ohhh I’ve never heard of Lakanto Monkfruit sweetener before! I have to try that out! Thank you for making the recipe.
  Reply
- Greg says
  January 18, 2024 at 4:23 pm
  
  Just made a very small batch with 5 ripe persimmons a neighbor had given me. Easy recipe to follow and I adjusted the other ingredients slightly. The immersion blender does the trick at the end! What is a good use for the jam besides toast?
  Reply
  - Becca Du says
    January 18, 2024 at 4:44 pm
    Amazing! I would say a persimmon tart. Puff pastry on the bottom, persimmon jam and sliced persimmons on top.
    Reply
    - Greg says
      January 18, 2024 at 4:49 pm
      
      That’s a great idea! Thank you.
      Reply
Krystal Smith says
December 30, 2021 at 7:40 pm

I just made this jam and it turned out so yummy!! Thank you for the super easy recipe. I don’t think it will last long because I’m already just eating it by the spoonful!! Yum!
Reply
- Becca says
  December 30, 2021 at 8:42 pm
  I’m so excited you like it!! Thank you for making it!
  Reply
Celina says
November 18, 2021 at 2:28 pm
So excited to try this recipe. Thank you for sharing, Becca! You rock for taking the time to share this 🙂
Reply
- Becca says
  November 22, 2021 at 12:24 pm
  Thank you Celine! Let me know how it goes!
  Reply
Kay Vierra says
November 17, 2021 at 11:14 am
you can ripen persimmons to mash by putting them in the freezer, freezing them and then letting them thaw.
Reply
- Becca says
  November 22, 2021 at 12:24 pm
  I didn’t know that! Thanks for the info!
  Reply
Tisha says
November 05, 2021 at 10:31 am

I went through this recipe and ended up throwing out the ‘jam’. It never reached the right consistency. then when I tasted, it puckered your mouth Very ripe persimmons used
Reply
- Becca says
  November 06, 2021 at 7:10 pm
  Sorry it didn’t work for you! Thank you for trying the recipe
  Reply
Gail says
October 26, 2021 at 5:16 pm
Since persimmons vary in size, can you please give an estimate of how much you would need for one recipe (for instance 1 cup chopped?
Thank you for sharing the recipe. Can’t wait to try it!
Reply
- Becca says
  October 26, 2021 at 6:04 pm
  I think I used about 3 cups of persimmons chopped.
  Reply
  - Mona says
    January 09, 2022 at 4:04 pm
    How much does it weigh? A ‘cup’ is meaningless. You can chop the fruit into tiny bits or big chunks. Weight of fruit is essential.
    Reply
    - Becca says
      January 09, 2022 at 4:13 pm
      About 24 ounces.
      Reply
S Jenkins says
September 26, 2021 at 2:10 pm
Not sure if I missed reading a step…looks like there is no “canning” required. Simply put jam into jars after cooking. Is that correct?
Reply
- Becca says
  September 27, 2021 at 11:17 am
  Yes that’s correct!
  Reply
  - SONIA SILVESTRE-HENAO says
    October 25, 2021 at 12:40 pm
    Are you able to waterbath can or would that ruin it?
    Thanks
    Reply
    - Becca says
      October 25, 2021 at 12:48 pm
      Unfortunately, I am not sure. I haven’t tried it with a waterbath.
      Reply
      - Anna says
        November 08, 2021 at 5:47 pm
        You really should tell people the right way to do it….boil the jars to sterilize them for ten minutes, then fill them to 1/2″ from the top, put on the lids and boil again for ten minutes submerged to air seal the mason jars, otherwise the jams will not last in the pantry for more than a month or less!
        Reply
        Becca says
        November 09, 2021 at 2:35 pm
        Thanks for the feedback!
        Reply
        Del says
        December 23, 2021 at 10:09 am
        
        Hi Ann,do you have a Facebook page? Where we can go and visit your page and hear more about your canning process. The information you gave above is wonderful I would love to learn more. Richie Del Facebook
        Reply
- NinjaRuth says
  October 23, 2023 at 11:09 am
  
  To all who make this jam recipe, please check with your local extension office to confirm that it is safe to leave jam in pantry for a year without canning. I question that and I wouldn’t want anyone to get botulism. I made the recipe and liked it very much, but if I were to make several jars to use at a later date, I would put in a water bath to be safe.
  Reply

Persimmon Jam - Cooking Therapy (2024)