persimons

[John *.?-!.* cub owner]

Looks like I am going to have lots of persimmons, but they are going to be smaller than usual. The type we have in this area are very small anyway with several seeds and only a little meat, but boy do they taste good. This year thye are going to be even smaller than normal.

[bob in CT]

I planted a few persimmon trees just out of curiosity, but mine are extremely astringent. Are they just not ripening this far north?

[Eugene]

Have one, a small, persimmon tree in the pasture. It has some fruit this year, more than previous years. Astringent is a good word for the taste, even after a hard freeze.

I planted persimmon seeds about 15 years ago. Haven't seen any of the seedlings. Thinking the rabbits or deer foraged on them.

[Don McCombs]

I planted a few persimmon trees just out of curiosity, but mine are extremely astringent. Are they just not ripening this far north?

Bob, I'm pretty sure they're not edible until after the first heavy frost.

[John *.?-!.* cub owner]

Usually it takes a little time after the first hard frost. If they are not ripe you will know it quickly.

[Eugene]

Hoping the persimmons remain on the tree until deer season. My understanding is that deer love persimmons.

[Don McCombs]

So do raccoons.

[tmays]

Coons and possums usually get to them before the deer. And yep, gotta let them get good and ripe before you pop them in your mouth, otherwise get ready to pucker up!

[Billy Fussell]

Yep, if they are not good and ripe, you will be "whistling" Dixie.

Billy

[Tezell]

Deer will come to places they normally do not frequent for a persimmon. I have a huge one just outside my front gate and in the fall it is not unusual to catch deer eating them. That is the only time of the year that they are seen there.

I remember as a child Daddy was pulling corn and I was riding in the trailer as I often did, to keep the ears of corn from piling up. When he turned around he went under a persimmon tree and I reached up and pulled some.
It looked ripe......... it was not. No water, nothing to change the taste in my mouth and a mile from the house. I don't think I have tried one since.

Life lesson learned and never forgotten.

[John *.?-!.* cub owner]

A few of them are ripe, and taste pretty good, but most need a few days. The camera colors are not quite right, they are about the color of a ripe pumpkin. Sadly, the ones that grow in this area are pretty small, with the biggest being about the size of the end of my thumb, and they have 4 to six medium size seeds, so there is very little meat to them. The wrinkled ones are ripe.

[Bob McCarty]

John, Could we see a picture of you climbing the tree to pick them? (A selfie will do if that's easier.)

Bob

[John *.?-!.* cub owner]

John, Could we see a picture of you climbing the tree to pick them?......Bob

If your imagination is good enough I guess you can. Normally I am still mowing grass when the persimmons are ripe, and every pass with the tractor I make a swing under the trees. Sure makes a funny mowing pattern though. It has been so dry the last couple months I will not have that excuse this fall.

[Stanton]

Have a few persimmons up/down our road. Most trees this year are loaded. Average size fruit here in western MO is about the size of a golf ball. Haven't noticed this year's fruit to be any different.

[torchred89]

John, Could we see a picture of you climbing the tree to pick them?......Bob

If your imagination is good enough I guess you can. Normally I am still mowing grass when the persimmons are ripe, and every pass with the tractor I make a swing under the trees. Sure makes a funny mowing pattern though. It has been so dry the last couple months I will not have that excuse this fall.

John when it stops raining. I'm going to take a picture of my neighbors persimmons tree. I swear they are as big as peaches.