Wild NC Persimmons

Certain words are ingrained in my memory.  "Bitter" is one I learned when I was about seven years old.  That fall, my paternal grandfather, Lawrence Hamby, took me to hike land not far from his Happy Valley home and we came upon a wild persimmon tree.  Recent frost sweetened the fruit and he handed me a small, dusky orange globe and told me to taste it.  Sweeter than my grandmother's pumpkins or my mother's sweet potato casserole, the treat delighted me and I reached to pick another from the tree branch above my head.  When my grandfather saw my face after I popped the fruit in my mouth, he laughed and said, "Made your mouth pucker, didn't it?"  My first encounter with truly bitter flavor, that wild persimmon is a taste memory I carry to this day.

Unripe wild persimmons are very bitter

This week, to celebrate my fifty-seven years, Richard and I traveled to a remote location on North Carolina's northern Outer Banks.  Twiddy and Company provided a delightful Carova home escape with 4x4 Atlantic beach access and quiet canals that beckoned boats to the Currituck Sound.  When we arrived at the rental home, wild horses, descendants of Spanish explorers, greeted us, curious about the food supplies we carried in large coolers, but we obeyed local laws and did not feed them.  

One of the Carova greeters

Thousands of migratory birds swooped by our outdoor seating as they continued their long journeys to warmer winter climates and early one morning, I watched a blue heron slowly fly along the canal in our backyard, his wings a mirrored image in the still water.  Along with the joy of observing wildlife in this pristine environment, I discovered a grove of persimmon trees, yielding ripe, sweet fruit that awakened childhood memories and inspired possible recipe ideas.  Richard and I walked among the trees, shaking trunks and scooping the falling fruit.

Sunset over a Carova canal

After carefully washing the persimmons, we squeezed the seeds from the fruit and placed them on a glass plate where they could dry, planning to grow them at our western NC home.  The fruit was lush, sweetly delicious and required no blanching or pre-cooking.  I added persimmon pulp to pancake batter and we enjoyed a wild, sweet treat for breakfast.  

Carova Wild Persimmons on Tree

Growing food is a soul-satisfying task; foraging wild food that rekindles a connection to family history is priceless.  If you are fortunate enough to find wild persimmons, try this recipe for a breakfast that will offer sustenance for your body and inspiration for your soul.  Just be sure the fruit is ripe; if it is not, you may create your own bitter taste memory!

Wild Persimmon Pancakes

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup persimmon pulp
1 large egg

Mix dry ingredients in large bowl.  Add wet ingredients, mix well.  In a large skillet, heat 1/2 tablespoon oil and fry batter, in 1/4 cup batches, in 3-inch rounds, flipping when bubbles form on top.  Serve with warm honey or fruit syrup.