North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Eric Farnsworth <tropicofkansas@sbcglobal.net>]

Mark,

 

I have had similar experiences with wild persimmons. And not similar. If this was your first taste of D, Virginiana, you should be advised that even the best of them will not be like D. Kaki. That is not to necessarily say inferior, but the ones I have tasted have been denser and not as 'fruity' as Kakis. Some are very sweet. Some bland. The ripening season makes a difference too. Long warm summer & autumn, like we did not get this year makes for raisin-sweet fruits on certain trees. I am curious about a wild persimmon with only one seed per fruit?

Don't rip that tree out yet.

 

Eric Farnsworth, Lawrence KS

This weekend I tried some wild persimmon.  The fruits were about golf ball
sized and orange.  The skin was slightly wrinkled and the flesh was soft.
They had a large seed in each one.  Some had dropped on the ground.  This is
the first time I've ever had a chance to taste some wild persimmon, and it
wasn't that good.  The flesh was slimy.  I would equate the taste
experience
to eating a plum imported from Chile.  Kind of a bland flavor, not all that
sweet, with a yucky texture.

My question is, do cultivated persimmon taste this way?  I put in a Morris
Burton persimmon (and a mate) that is several years from fruiting, but if
it's anything like wild persimmon, I'd rather yank it out.

Thanks,
Mark
KS