Monthly Tip

Persimmon season is here. The skin of the fruit turns orange when fully ripe. The flat bottomed Fuyu persimmons will still be fairly firm when ready and can be eaten raw like a crispy apple or sliced up and cooked into an apple-style pie. Fruit that falls from the tree early may continue to ripen on the counter despite the green skin. Heart-shaped Hachiya persimmons turn almost jelly-like inside when ripe.  It is best to eat raw by cutting it in half and digging it out with a spoon. They can also be used in baking. If you eat an unripe Hachiya persimmon, you will gain a new understanding of the word “astringent”! To protect the persimmons from birds and squirrels, it is necessary to wrap the tree with bird netting or cover it in a structure made with chicken wire before the fruits are ripe.

More information: Persimmons