The Fire of Zeus and What That Means to a Small Indiana Town

Spawning from a tree, whose name means "the fire of Zeus", the persimmon, a yellow-orange to red-orange fruit, is so revered in Mitchell Indiana that an annual festival occurs in its' honor. High in glucose and balanced proteins, persimmons are best when eaten baked. However, pies, cakes, syrups, and jams have all been made and exhibited in the annual festival. The secret to the flavor is finding the perfect ripeness. The perfect ripeness does not come from the fruits hanging on the tree, rather from the ones that have fallen to the ground.

Before moving South, my husband and I lived in Mitchell, Indiana where every September, a reunion occurs. Amidst, the mushy fleshiness of the persimmons and their various recipes in Southern Indiana, a parade, carnival rides, musical acts and the coronation of the Persimmon Queen all occur within a 7 day span. One can stand on downtown Mainstreet, gaze NorthWest and see a painting of the revered persimmon on the city's water tower. A child doesn't grow up in that town without tasting persimmon something or other... and ours had the honor of persimmon ice cream. Bear in mind, this is the same town that famed astronaut Virgil "Gus" Grissom grew up in... in fact you can tour his boyhood home and also view artifacts from his NASA days at the Spring Mill State Park.

However, the festival is not just a festival. People who have not seen one another for at least a year or sometimes several, mark their calendars for this event. Vendors, classmates, neighbors, relatives, and those who come to visit their loved one's graves are all a part of this Homecoming. It isn't just about the good times or the bad times. It is also about all the times in between. The town just chooses an unlikely fruit to sandwich all that history and memory between. We were lucky to share that experience for a few years of our lives.

If you are ever in Southern Indiana, you might take a jaunt to Spring Mill State Park, and if you are in town the second to thrid week in September, you might just want to check out the annual Persimmon Festival. Until then, enjoy this Indiana Persimmon Recipe! ~ Jennifer the IHI Home Inspections Office Girl

Indiana Persimmon Pudding

Ingredients

• 2 cups persimmon pulp
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup white sugar
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 6 cups milk
• 1 tablespoon butter

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, stir together the persimmon pulp and eggs using a whisk. Stir in sugar. Combine the flour and baking soda; stir into the persimmon alternating with milk until smooth. Pour into a large greased crock or casserole dish. Drop dabs of butter on top.
3. Bake for 2 hours in the preheated oven, stirring every 15 minutes. Pudding will be dark brown when finished. Serve hot or cold.

http://www.ihihomeinspections.com 404-788-2581 Bonnie & David Lelak Owners. Atlanta Home Inspector