Connecticut Garden Journal: How to grow and when to harvest American persimmons

It's been a rough year in my orchard. A late freeze in winter killed some blossoms before they even opened and a late May frost zapped those that did open. But surprisingly, one fruit tree did fine. That's my American persimmon. Most gardeners know persimmons as that Asian fruit in specialty grocery stores. Although most Asian types aren't hardy here, the American persimmon are and they're worth growing. Persimmon trees grow 20 feet-tall with large, avocado-like leaves. You only need one tree to get fruit. The tree has a nice shape and beautiful yellow, fall foliage color. But it's the fruit that I love. American persimmon fruits are about the size of a small donut. They grow slowly all summer and by now should be turning their characteristic orange color. But don't eat them yet. American persimmons are very astringent if you eat them when they're still firm. It's best to harvest when they're fully colored, bring them indoors and let them slowly soften over many days. When the fruits are mushy ripe, dive in. The custardy fruits have a sweet, citrus/mango flavor with a hint of cinnamon. I love eating them fresh, but you can also bake and cook with them. I even freeze some to add to winter fruit shakes. You can also leave the fruits on the tree into late fall. Once the golden leaves drop, the orange fruits give a spooky appearance and are great for wildlife to enjoy. The classic variety for New England is 'Meader', bred by New Hampshire horticulturist, Elwyn Meader. But others worth trying include 'Mohler', 'Prok' and 'John Rick'.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.