Sweet Persimmon Waffles Steal the Spotlight in New Locavore Cookbook

A new recipe for persimmon waffles has been featured in Living the Locavore Lifestyle, a book by Bruce and Elaine Ingram. The dish, designed as an 'event entrée' for a Sunday dinner, highlights the sweet, sticky flavour of ripe persimmons. The authors, who favour the American persimmon (Diospyros virginiana), shared their approach in the August/September 2025 issue of MOTHER EARTH NEWS. The Ingrams grew their own persimmons on a 15-year-old tree, pruning it carefully to ensure full sunlight and a strong harvest. American persimmons thrive in warm summers and cold winters, conditions rarely found in Germany or most of Europe. Commercial cultivation remains limited to southern France, Italy, and Spain, where growers face challenges like insufficient heat for ripening and frost damage in cooler areas.

The waffle recipe combines 1-1/2 cups of all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup of whole-wheat flour, and 1/2 cup of persimmon pulp for a seasonal twist. Other ingredients include sugar, nuts, baking powder, salt, milk, oil, and two eggs. The batter must rest for five minutes before cooking to achieve the right texture. The fruit itself is small—about the size of a pingpong ball—and turns a bright orange when ripe. Its rich, honey-like sweetness pairs well with the crispy waffles, making it a standout dish for autumn meals.

The recipe reflects the Ingrams' broader focus on local, foraged, and homegrown food, as detailed in their book. While American persimmons remain uncommon in European markets, the dish offers a way to enjoy their unique flavour. The full instructions appear in Living the Locavore Lifestyle, alongside guidance on hunting, fishing, and sustainable eating.