I am not sure where to post this question so I am throwing it out here. There are two trees growing on the golf course by me that have lots of fruit on them. From my research I think they are persimmon trees. Does anyone know anything about persimmons? I would like to harvest some and use them for something productive as they just spoil every year.
Persimmon tree
Frostweed has a persimmon tree that is loaded each year.
The one Josephine has is Oriental and much easier to harvest, but the it can still be done with the American Persimmon. Starting in a few weeks, you will have to check on the tree several times a week. And the first time you try an unripe persimmon, you will almost want to give up on trying to find a ripe one. To me, it felt like my tongue and inside of my mouth had been turned into sandpaper. It took quite a while to make the taste/feeling go away.
Here is a great website about the American Persimmon tree. It's has great information on how and when to harvest. http://www.wildmanstevebrill.com/Clippings.folder/America%27s%20Puckery%20Persimmon.html
That was a very good link Stacey, the variety I have is Tamopan which is a Japanese persimmon and ripens very late. We usually just eat them fresh as they ripen, but they can also be frozen whole, and taken out one at a time as needed and let then partially thaw out.
I used to make jam with them but haven't done it lately.
Josephine.
yep! Green persimmons can make u believe you ate a deoderant stick. Takes a freeze to ripen, n the skin seems to retain the bitterness- cultivated persimmons do not have the flavor of the wild ones tho.
Thanks for posting the question and thanks for the answers y'all have given I have about 3 of them growing along the fence line and want to help them grow and produce since they were lost in the "wild brush" and I didn't' realize I had them until this summer.
Here is a picture of the fruit and leaves. Is this fruit too big to be a persimmon?. It is approximately 2 3/4 inches.
Says they can be up to 4 inches here.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persimmon
Your persimmon looks like a Fugi variety, not the native kind and it doesn't look ripe yet, but it surely is a persimmon.
Thanks everyone. There are three good sized trees by my house on the golf course and they are loaded with fruit. In the past I have just watched them fall off the trees and spoil. If I can figure out when they are ripe I am going to give them a try! Anyone have any suggestions for ways to use them?
Yes, definitely not native. Which, for fruit value is really great for you. :)
this is what mine look like ...not sure if they will get any bigger in size but maybe next year since we cleaned everything out around them
Phyllis, is yours a native? That's about the size I remember picking from my grandmother's tree. That was a giant tree, and hers didn't get any bigger. That's just the size they were. Boy, could they pucker your mouth!
good question I have no idea I found them this spring when DH was clearing out the mes along the easement road side of the yard....I made sure he knew not to cut them down
they are spindly trees right now but I am hoping since we cleaned things out they will do better
now I have to find the recipe my mom gave me for using them along wtih the sweet tator recipe she brought in June
Native persimmon stay fairly small sized, turns red foliage in the fall, n the wild birds will help you reseed, for the sweetest part, just be careful of not eating the skin...
I got a few that were soft off the tree cause if they hit the ground they are rotten by then ...am wondering about getting the others that I can reach and putting them in the frig for a bit to ripen
There are 2 native persimmon trees along a road I frequent in Montgomery, one is badly damaged by Ike. This thread is such a coincidence - this morning, on my walk I decided to see if they were really ripe. Having puckered up for a non-ripe one last year, I tried a really squishy one. It tasted like a cross between a dried apricot and a raisin, obviously ripe this time, and delicious.
Love the site from Sweezil - lots of good native information, and glad I probably got my vitamin A and other minerals, etc for the day!