Start with underripe hachiya persimmons. While there are many different species of persimmons, hoshigaki is traditionally prepared using the hachiya variety. The fruits you select should be a little underripe—firm to the touch, but not overly hard. They’ll soften up as they sit in the sun, eventually turning spongy as the sugars break down and lend each bite a candied sweetness.
You’ll typically be able to find hachiya persimmons at international supermarkets and specialty food stores that carry exotic produce.
Mature persimmons naturally have a higher sugar content, which means they’re more likely to over ripen when dried in the sun for long periods of time
Peel the persimmons, but leave the stem intact. Run the blade of a knife carefully around the outer edges of the fruit to remove the thin peel. Continue until you reach the woody stem, but don’t cut it off. This little nub is what you’ll be using to hang the persimmons and prepare them for drying.
If you’re prepping a lot of persimmons, it may be easier to use a veggie peeler or mandoline to do the bulk of your peeling
Insert a screw into the top of fruits that are missing their stems. Every now and then, you’ll come across a persimmon with a stem that’s broken or only partially formed. When this happens, reach for a small metal screw and twist it into the woody core. The screw will serve as a makeshift anchor point.
You may have to use a little force to get the screw deep enough in the dense stem core to provide the stability you need.
Wind a length of twine around the stem at the top of the fruit. The sturdy stem is useful for suspending whole persimmons, which can get a little heavy. After tying off the twine, test the knot to make sure it’s secure. Fruits that slip out of their rigging may not dry as consistently as the others.
Any kind of thread will do if you don’t have any butcher’s twine on hand, including shoestrings, yarn, or even flexible metal wire.
Hang the persimmons in indirect sunlight. Pick out a well-lit (but not too bright) spot in front of an east- or west-facing window or somewhere on your screened-in porch. Knot the opposite end of the twine around a nail or thumbtack to hold it in place. Positioning the persimmons where they can get at least 4-5 hours of partial sunlight a day will cut down considerably on the time it takes them to dry.
If finding a suitable place to hang your persimmons is an issue, try trying 2 fruits together by the stems and looping them over a bannister or curtain rod.
For greater control over the amount of light your persimmons get, consider buying a portable towel rack or similar item that you can move around at will
Leave the persimmons to dry for a minimum of 3-4 weeks. Now all that’s left to do is wait for the light and warmth of the sun to work its magic. Resist the urge to handle the fruit, unless it’s to give them a gentle squeeze to get the syrupy juices moving around.
It may take quite a bit longer to dry persimmons outdoors if they’re kept in shade, or during long stretches of cool, wet weather.
Hang-drying hoshigaki the traditional way requires patience. If you’re in a hurry to enjoy sweet, chewy persimmons, you’ll probably be better off preparing them in the dehydrator instead.
Remove the fruit when it develops a loosely wrinkled exterior. Properly dried persimmons will darken in color and shrivel up to about half of their original size. Inside, the fruit should be jelly-like and almost crystalline in appearance. Once your persimmons have cured to your liking, untie them and enjoy!
If you prefer your persimmons slightly softer and more moist, feel free to eat them a little earlier. The longer you leave them hanging, the gummier they’ll grow.
Some fruits may dry quicker than others, depending on how the sunlight behaves. When this happens, simply take them down and reposition the others so that they can receive as much light as possible.
Store whole dried persimmons in an airtight container, or simply leave them hanging in a shady spot. Try to use them up within 6-8 months
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