There are no other fruits that represent the fall season to me as persimmons do – well, pomegranates are a close second. My sweet elderly neighbor gave me a bunch of hachiyas. I have been figuring out the best way to ripen them: the “window sill method”, the “persimmons in a brown bag with a banana method”, and “the persimmons with cotton balls dunked in vodka method”:

So far, the window sill method is the most ineffective, but that may be since I have a patio overhang that limits direct sunlight. The banana method seems to be working. I am waiting on the vodka bunch. What will I do if/when they all ripen at the same time? I found a recipe for persimmon pudding I am itching to try. I can always freeze them too. Here are some photos from my young back grove. I have a fuyu and a hachiya tree. I planted them about five years ago, but the hachiya had a setback. I thought I lost it after the second year, but two little sprouts grew, and this year, it even bore fruit – three to be exact :-):

And here is my fuyu tree & fruits – they are sweet, crunchy, delicious, and best of all can be eaten right off the tree.