Fast forward to Spring 2013, and the tree was *covered* with tiny fruit, one at each leaf joint. I knew the tree would fall over with the weight of the developing fruit, but I also know persimmons are good at self-thinning. I was right: for weeks the ground under the tree was littered with tiny fallen fruit.
Even so, the tree is still abundantly covered with fruit that won't be ripe until October or November. Usually, this variety of persimmon tree (the Japanese Fuyu type) drops its leaves before the fruit ripens, so it looks like a Christmas tree covered with orange ornaments.
At this point, the fruit are just beginning to show some color besides green, and they're only 1.5 to 2 inches in diameter. When ripe, they'll be bright orange and about 3 inches in diameter. This type of persimmon is the kind that has a flat-bottom. You eat it when it's as firm as an apple - it doesn't need to get soft and mushy before losing its astringent flavor like the Hachiya persimmons, which have a more pointed bottom. More about the persimmon types here.
There are lots of ways to use persimmons: eat like an apple; slice into salads; bake with other fruit in a pie or crumble; halve and roast... Yum! Can't wait!
2 comments:
Thank you for this info. I only knew Sharon Fruit and now found out that this is a cultivar of one of the persimmons. Always nice to learn new things. How nice to be able to grow this yourself!
ooooh hadn't seen this post.you've got the right ones to make kakishibuizome. (jealous,jealous)if you don't want to go there you can still dye w the leaves. they give orangey tans
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