Persimmons are one of my favorite fall fruits, perhaps because they as such a special, seasonal treat. I know many people are put off by the astringency or chalkiness of persimmons, but here's the deal: a truly ripe persimmon is neither astringent nor chalky, just sweet, smooth, mellow, and delicious. The key is to eating them when they are really, really ripe! In this post, I'll share how to harvest and preserve persimmons for winter eating. The Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, and lower Midwest states are blessed with the native American Persimmon, Diospyros virginiana, whose genus means "fruit of the gods".  They are smaller than the Asian persimmons that you often see … [Read more...]