Native Persimmons

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Native Persimmons

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Jam Lady

Joined: 28 Dec 2006
Posts: 2585
Location: New Jersey, USA

Posted: Tue Nov 04, 14 10:58 pm Post subject: Native Persimmons

Woo hoo! Look what I found on Sunday!

This is Diosporos virginiana, our native persimmon, also known as possum haw. The people whose yard had two huge trees were not interested. Just letting them fall on the ground and rot. The falling off the tree part is important, they must be very soft if they're to be edible rather than insanely astringent.

If only one, I'd have eaten it out of hand and enjoyed very much. But I got many more. *For some reason I cannot attach the image of a box of these little delicious native fruits. You'll have to take my word for it that I collected about 150.

Processed that evening and now have four 2-cup bags of pureed persimmon in the freezer.

Am thinking of persimmon cranberry pudding, or perhaps persimmon cranberry jam, or perhaps who knows what. After all, Thanksgiving is coming.

Any suggestions?

jamanda
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 22 Oct 2006
Posts: 35058
Location: Devon

Posted: Tue Nov 04, 14 11:15 pm Post subject:
They look interesting. But no idea what you would do with them.

bodrighy

Joined: 15 Aug 2008
Posts: 2159
Location: Near Devizes

Posted: Tue Nov 04, 14 11:33 pm Post subject:
They look a bit like our quinces. Pete

Jam Lady

Joined: 28 Dec 2006
Posts: 2585
Location: New Jersey, USA

Posted: Wed Nov 05, 14 1:35 am Post subject:

Quinces are very hard, inedible unless they are cooked. Could never eat a quince raw.

Do you not have the much larger Japanese persimmons, Diospiros kaki, in the stores?

Persimmons are - when fully ripe - very soft and pulpy. Wild trees are, of course, variable in quality. These were very pleasant to eat - brush off the dirt, squeeze /pinch to break the skin, and suck the sweet flesh from around the seeds.

If I had to choose something similar I might pick medlar.

In this Wikipedia article https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diospyros_virginiana it mentions that the tree has been grown in England but the fruit rarely ripens.

Andrea

Joined: 02 May 2005
Posts: 2260
Location: Portugal

Posted: Wed Nov 05, 14 6:19 am Post subject:
Whether mine are the same variety I've no idea, but I rarely catch them at the right moment. Eaten too soon they turn your face inside out, and too late and they just rot. When I catch them slightly too soon or too late I include them with whatever other ingredients I have to make chutney, and if they're just right they never make it as far as the kitchen.

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 16093

Posted: Wed Nov 05, 14 7:46 am Post subject:
They sound rather more like our medlars. I think some people grow the Japanese ones as ornamentals, and may have seen them in the shops, but have never bought them.

Andrea

Joined: 02 May 2005
Posts: 2260
Location: Portugal

Posted: Wed Nov 05, 14 7:55 am Post subject:
We're lucky enough to be able to grow both here. Totally different beasts.

Piggyphile

Joined: 02 Apr 2009
Posts: 891
Location: Galicia

Posted: Wed Nov 05, 14 8:09 am Post subject:
In the UK their grown up cousins are also called Sharon fruit. I love them when they are ripe. I have two trees of Diospiros kaki put in last winter and I await the first fruit with excitement. I hope to get hold of some Diosporos virginiana from Martin Crawford at the ART sometime soon.

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45698
Location: Essex

Posted: Wed Nov 05, 14 9:54 am Post subject:
We've got kaki and virginiana here. Most of the virginiana have died, 1 left. The kaki have got a crop on them this year, really lovely shrubby tree, looks great in fruit even before they change colour

Jam Lady

Joined: 28 Dec 2006
Posts: 2585
Location: New Jersey, USA

Posted: Thu Nov 06, 14 4:33 am Post subject:
And a brewery in Texas was making persimmon beer - https://www.fullsteam.ag/blog/2011/09/persimmon-foraging/

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 16093

Posted: Thu Nov 06, 14 8:51 am Post subject:
I saw some persimmons for sale yesterday at the farm shop. Must have been imported I think. Not tempted to buy though.

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