Wild Persimmons, who eats them?

[GW]

I found a small Persimmon on our property and this is the first time I've tried the wild variety. This tree is (was) about 15 feet tall, but it got blown over. It's still alive and has a lot of fruit averaging around 1" in diameter. I was wondering if it might have gotten larger fruit if it hadn't blown over. So far I've eaten a few and they were very sweet. I think I'll try sprouting some seeds and planting more of them. Maybe I could pull this little tree upright also.

[Dan_Shade]

I used to eat them, they don't get any bigger than that.  they are much better i you eat them early in the spring.   :D

[WH_Conley]

Best after a frost hits them. Don't them much around here anymore. If one acts like it wants to fall a deer will run out and catch it in midair >:(. Too hot to shoot the deer. :-\

[GW]

Hmmmm. Loin of Venison with wild Persimmon sauce.

[Bibbyman]

Mary makes persimmon bread.  There were once groves of them on a large farm nearby.  We asked the owner if we could pick them up.  He thought it funny but said to go ahead.  We picked up a couple of 5 gallon buckets full.  Mary used a colander to squeeze out the pulp and then made persimmon bread.  I guess it'd be something like banana bread.  Anyways,  we took him a loaf and then he understood why we'd pick them up.   

[Tom]

Wild persimmons are wonderful. They are quick to let you know when they are ripe.  If you try to eat one before it is ripe, you can't get your mouth open far enough to eat anything for a week.

Persimmons are God's breakfast preserves. You don't have to cook them.  Take a few ripe ones into the house for breakfast.  Make some toast and spread the innards on the toast with a little butter.  Instant Jam.  The wild ones do have some big seeds, but they don't get in the way too much.

Usually, if you find a wild persimmon tree, you will find that your property has a bunch of them.  Not all produce fruit and it takes a pretty good while for one to take to fruit anyway.  I have a couple of Japanese Persimmon trees.  You know, the big ones.   I have this dream of grafting the jap persimmon on all of the wild persimmon trees I can fine.   ....One of these days.  :D

I love them and am really enjoying the last one on the tree

Jeff gets the nerve to try one and finds it messy.  He threw it on the ground.
...I picked it up and ate it.  Don't want to waste a persimmon. ;D
That's Br'er DanG in the background.
He's making wise comments to Jeff in the first picture.
He's probaby making wise comments to me in the second
Picture, but I was going to eat the dang thing anyway. :D

Then Corley5 decided to try a piece.  Not a bad effort for two Michiganners


This is a bowl full of Jap persimmons harvested by Woodbowl.
They come in all kinds of shapes.  :D

[GW]

This tree is nearly horizontal now. Any advice on trying to stand it back up? BTW, it's loaded with fruit which may be why it blew over. They are just now starting to ripen. 

[Tom]

Tie a rope to it and pull it back up.  Wet it good.  It will either make it or not.   Leaving it horizontal might work too, if the roots weren't too badly compromised.  You can get to the persimmons easier that way. :D

On second thought, too much moving around might make it drop the fruit.

[SAW MILLER]

  I have picked them out of the snow and eaten them.If you shake the tree real good its easy
pickens in an early snow.
   I also made bread like Bibby and Mary did but you talk about RICH !

[GW]

I think I'll wait until the fruit is done and then pull it back up. It probably wouldn't hurt to water it a little since we're still hurting for rain.

SAW MILLER, if I waited for snow in extreme south Georgia I might never get a persimmon.    ;D

[SwampDonkey]

Well, I can honestly say I wanted to try one or several. BUT, the tree was on a private lot. A lot owned by the venison butcher my friend and I went to pick up his packaged deer meat. He showed me the tree, but I was told not to touch.  :-\ :'(

[GW]

SwampDonkey, if you're in SW Georgia soon, stop by for some fruit! 

[SwampDonkey]

Tom, I bet that Jeff would end up throwing wild plums at me if I showed him the plums.  :-\


GW, I was down that way in October 2001 as my friend had drove me all over God's green earth to count pine beetles. We left Virginia, on to TN, then northwest GA, then SC and up through the smokies and back to VA. Now he's over in Idaho. Bugger.  I'll probably never get another chance. Ho hum. :-\

[Tom]

I betcha he'd try them.
Whether they like them or not, you gotta give these guys credit for trying them anyway.

[SwampDonkey]

I gotta see if I can get some tomorrow up in Foley Brook. There is an old farm field with a rock pile that always had a few around it. They were all bulldozed and destroyed around here because it hosts green peach aphid, which is in conflict with potatoes. They carry diseases.  : Might try to grow some from seed.  It's just about time to pick them, after all it's September. There was heavy frost this morning up that way.

[DWM II]

I love'em. We had trees on the bayou behind the camp on cat island when I was growing up. Seems there was always a opossum or coon trying to eat'em all as well.

[Corley5]

They tasted pretty good but the texture left something to be desired  ;) ;D

[CLL]

They are best when you eat them pretty green  8) :D :D

[SAW MILLER]

I gave a green one to my old mule I use to have and you oughta seen him trying to woller it out of his mouth :D

[Don K]

Makes a very pretty jam too. I'd wait until it drops its leaves this winter to try and stand it back up. Kinda like transplanting. Any root breaks that occur may heal itself in the spring when it comes outta dormancy.

[GW]

I think I'll try that Don K. I checked it out today and the root ball is still in the ground. It's a fairly sandy area.

Come to think of it I would rather have the tree near the pond. Do you all think I could successfully transplant it? The pond probably won't be finished until winter.

[Don K]

How big is the trunk? If you get enough of the root system including hair roots, I don't see why it wouldn't make it. If you could get a good sized root ball and get a tarp under it to transport it might work. You would have to ensure that it got plenty to drink until the roots established themselves good enough to sustain it.

I'd save some of the seeds and clean them and let them dry before stoing in the fridge for the winter and pot them up in the spring. You might could start a regular persimmon grove. Something neat too, if you split the seed down the seam there is the imprint of a spoon inside.

Don

[SwampDonkey]

I gave a green one to my old mule I use to have and you oughta seen him trying to woller it out of his mouth :D

Reminds me of giving the dog a cube of sticky toffee and watching the poor thing deal with it without biting his tongue off.  :D :D :D