What are persimmons and why should we look for them? In this article, I will try to answer these pressing questions in the hope that your life (and belly) will be fuller for it. A few cautions before I begin. Always positively identify the plant before you eat it. When trying a new edible, only try a small portion and see how your body reacts, as you may be sensitive or allergic to it.
PERSIMMON – Diospyros Virginiana
The persimmon is a tree that can grow to 60 feet, although it’s usually much shorter. I usually see them at 30 feet or less. They don’t like much shade and are often found in fence rows, open areas, sparsely wooded areas, and at the edge of wooded areas. This is one of those oddball trees that is either male or female. That means you could identify it, but never get any fruit if it’s a male.
Younger trees (at right) have grayish, somewhat blocky bark that looks like someone wrapped it around the trunk and it cracked, revealing a reddish or orange color in the cracks. As the tree matures, the bark turns blackish and blockier and is often compared to an alligator’s back. The leaves are alternate, oval-shaped with a pointed tip, and have entire margins. The fruit starts out looking green (like a little green apple) and changes to yellowish orange, often with a bluish tinge when ripe. They are about the size of a golf ball or a little smaller and have a crown of hard leafy bracts by the stem.
The fruit can be ripe anywhere between September and November depending on location (and possibly weather). It’s mid-November and I have a tree that is still dropping ripe ones, while 30 minutes away is another tree that was empty of fruit 6 weeks ago. The fruit when ripe will be fairly squishy and feel like it’s overripe. If you take a bite of one that’s not fully ripe, you will know it immediately as they are quite astringent, and your mouth will get the pucker effect. Anyone watching may get a good laugh as well.
If you decide to harvest them, visit the tree often as they are enjoyed by birds and four-footed animals who will try to get them before you! There are many uses for this fruit. You can eat them raw, cook them, puree and dehydrate them for fruit leather, and much more. A friend of mine used them as the flavor in Jello. Once harvested, they need to be used within a day or two as they don’t store very long. I have heard of people drying them like raisins but haven’t looked into it.
If you like hot drinks, the leaves can be used to make tea. Another tea/coffee like drink is made from the seeds. Each fruit has anywhere from 2-6 large brown seeds. Dry them and roast them in the oven at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Grind them using an inexpensive coffee grinder or food processor as they can be hard as rocks. I used 1T of ground seeds per cup, although I think 2T per cup might have been better. The resulting drink had a pleasant nutty aroma and flavor!
Now it’s time to get out there and identify some persimmon trees. If you’re too late for fruit, come back next year in late summer and see if there’s any fruit. You can also plant some in your yard. There are many types of persimmons, but if you’re wanting our native persimmon, look for American persimmon or the Latin name Diospyros Virginiana. Happy hunting!
About Me:
John Miller loves the outdoors and enjoys learning about all the things the Creator has made. He enjoys hunting, fishing, backpacking, and finding new moths. While looking into prepping in 2008, he realized that developing skills such as knowing wild edibles and bushcraft skills were more important than storing food. Ever since then he has been learning and slowly working on the skills of these two disciplines. He currently lives in Cleveland, TN with his wife Rachel and six children.
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