This is a kind of annual sesonal event for me, making dried persimmons. It is actually very interesting using scientific process. We use astringent persimmons contain a lot of tannin for making dried persimmons. Normally, you can't eat such kind of persimmon because of its strong astringent. Tannin is soluble and can easily make an complex with proteins. When you bite an astringent persimmon, your mouth is full of complex tannin with salivary protein that makes you feel bad. However, the binding ability to protein is dramatically weak in unsoluble form of tannin.
When you peel off astringent persimmons and dry them, their breathing are disturbed and acetaldehydes are produced inside of persimmons. This is key substance to make unsoluble form of tannin. Acetaldehydes link proanthocyanidins that is key chemical reaction. Tannin is not gone anywhere, just be a unsoluble form.
Our area is famous about production of good persimmons. We can get easily them on streets along persimmon fields. I make them almost every year. They are also suitable for preserved food; you can keep them about 1 year in freezer. My wife and I enjoyed combination of sweetness of dried persimmon and salty of Gorgonzola cheese, and of course a local cold beer (those dried persimmons were made last year)....
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