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Steve wrote:
> That was very informative. Thanks.
>
> It has me wondering about the process you know they use to get rid of 
> the astringency when the fruit is still firm. Wouldn't it be great if 
> this was something that could be done at home? Wouldn't it be great if 
> it worked on American persimmons?
>
> I think it would be a real advantage to the home growers with a bumper 
> crop of American persimmons. Give some of then the treatment so they 
> could be eaten early and perhaps firm, for a change. It would kind of 
> spread out the fresh eating season.
>
> I can't grow persimmons but if I could, I think I would be digging for 
> the information on how they do that.

Over the years I've heard of many "methods" to render green Diospyros 
virginiana ripe...everything from freezing, repeated freeze/thaw cycles, 
ethylene, etc. etc.  I've never seen one that was reliable (or even that 
I found would sometimes work).  Jerry Lehman and others can speak to 
that as well.  That said, I did try bringing in whole branches hit by 
twig girdlers.  The branches each had more than 10 persimmons, some 20. 
 I left them at room temp in my lab and after a couple of weeks they 
were   losing mositure.  However, because I'm a persimmon freak and 
can't leave well enough alone...I tried them.  They were orange but 
still astringent when I brought them in (again...can't leave well enough 
alone).  But after sitting there on the branch for a few weeks they were 
no longer astringent but were much less moist.  I plan on trying this 
again next season to make sure it wasn't a fluke.