North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Melissa Kacalanos <mijwiz@yahoo.com>]

I guess I should be ashamed to admit this in this
crowd, but the only persimmons I've eaten have been
storebought, grown who-knows-where. I doubt they were
American. Some have been non-astringent, and I've
enjoyed them a lot, while others have been absolutely
inedible to me, but enjoyable to my husband. There are
no fruits that are in-between to me, they're all
either delicious or inedible. I've come to recognize
which are which in the stores, since they're never
labeled.

Maybe I'm unusually sensitive to astringency, since
I'd think that if everyone had my tastes, many
customers would return these fruits to the stores with
complaints, and the stores would learn not to stock
them at all. Since the usual problem with storebought
fruit is blandness, not harsh flavors, I assume my
perception is not the standard one.

I've seen one persimmon tree in fruit, and it was so
spectacular as an ornamental, the taste might hardly
matter. In December, in a botanical garden in Geneva,
Switzerland, it was covered with so many fruits, of
such a bright orange, it looked fake. Those with
refined tastes might say it was too gaudy. Maybe I
should plant a tree, and it will stay ornamental all
winter, since I won't be tempted to pick the fruits.
(Although I guess my husband might.)

Eh, I should stop yearning for all these things that
don't quite grow in my zone, and concentrate on all
the wonderful plants that do grow here. (But if anyone
knows of a non-astringent persimmon that's hardy to
zone 5, let me know.)

Melissa

--- Donna &/or Kieran <holycow@cookeville.com> wrote:

> Melissa,
>     These persimmons you are talking about eating,
> are they wild ones?  Have 
> you tasted any persimmons from grafted trees?  there
> are differences among 
> individual clones, some have more astringency than
> others.  I have a tree of 
> Early Golden and find it quite astonishing.  The
> fruit looks almost 
> artificial, it's so incredibly orange, and is much
> firmer than my local 
> fruits.  The astringency seems lower than average.  
> Even the local 
> persimons are more orange and less blue looking this
> year, I don't know why. 
> I think if you'll buy a tree or better yet graft
> Early Golden onto an 
> existing smallish tree, that you'll find you will be
> just as pleased as your 
> husband.   Donna 
>