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How
does adding baking soda affect persimmon bread?
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Hi
Anne and Sue,
I was making persimmon bread the other night, and all
the recipes I found told me to add baking soda to the
pulp to stiffen it. I followed the instructions, and
after letting it sit for about five minutes, the pulp
became a solid, but somewhat gelatinous, mass. The persimmon
bread turned out beautifully, very moist and fluffy.
I’m wondering if this step had anything to do
with it, and if it would be a good step in banana, pumpkin,
or other breads.
Thanks.
Robin from San Francisco
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Hi Robin,
Depending on the particular cultivar used, the growing
conditions, and the degree of ripeness, persimmons can
be highly astringent. The components that create astringency
and make your mouth pucker are called tannins. Tannins
can be abundant in persimmons. The squat Fuyu persimmon
has no tannins and can be eaten while still firm. In contrast,
the more common, acorn-shaped Hachiya remains astringent
until its skin dulls and it has become so ripe that the
flesh inside is almost jellylike.
Tannins play an integral part in the manufacture of a
fascinating number of products—from animal food
to leather to paper to red wine. Research in various fields
indicates that an alkaline pH inactivates tannins. Adding
baking soda, an alkali, directly to the persimmon pulp
is an attempt to reduce astringency and to ensure that
the tannins cause no further reactions as the batter is
mixed.
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When persimmons are beaten to a pulp, tannins form complexes
with carbohydrates, causing the pulp to stiffen to a gel-like
consistency. When baking soda is added, a reaction with
the moist and slightly acidic persimmon creates carbon
dioxide (CO2), which also plays a role in encouraging
the pulp to thicken. With other fruits, this gelling doesn’t
happen because they aren’t as high in tannins. Your
persimmon bread was light and fluffy because CO2 likely
became trapped in the gel.
It’s better to not add baking soda to mashed banana
and pumpkin when making breads with these fruits. Adding
baking soda to these moist, acidic ingredients initiates
a reaction that releases CO2. This happens extremely quickly
with fruits that don’t form a gel. By the time the
batter is mixed together, the CO2 has escaped.
Persimmon bread sounds delicious, and it’s something
we’ve never made. Unfortunately, persimmons are
now out of season in our markets, so we’ll have
to wait. Would you consider posting the recipe for persimmon
bread on the Forum?
We’d welcome any further insights on making this
bread.
Great to hear from you, Robin.
Anne & Sue
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