American persimmon tree heavy with fruit.
Diospyros virginiana
winter plum
EDIBLE fruit
Foragers who enjoy the Asian persimmon will be delighted to know that the American persimmon can be found throughout the lower Midwest and that it can be enjoyed in the same delicious ways.
American persimmon is a common hardwood tree found across the lower Midwest and Southeast of the U.S. It’s often used as an ornamental in formal gardens as it is shade- and drought-tolerant. The tree is also found in the wild on the edges of mixed hardwood forests or in the partial shade of thickets and along hedgerows. Its leaves are oblong, about 3 to 4 inches long, with smooth edges. The bark is gray, deeply furrowed, and plated.
American persimmon tree heavy with fruit.
An unripe persimmon is undesirable: it’s extremely astringent, and its tannins will make your mouth pucker and dry out. Ripe persimmons have a wrinkled skin that is soft to the touch; the flesh will be equally soft with a deeper yellow-orange color. Persimmons are ready in mid- to late fall.
Persimmons that fall easily to the ground or have fallen already are ready for eating. Those that are tightly attached to the twigs are still unripe. Avoid fruit with insect damage or broken skin.
Wild-harvested American persimmon can be prepared similarly to a cultivated Asian persimmon. Persimmon puree can be turned into a fun fruit leather snack for kids (try using maple syrup as the sweetener), used as a topping for a brie cheese plate appetizer, or added to citrus-based smoothies. Persimmon puree can also be used in fruit breads, teacakes, and baked goods like scones or fruit bars. It can also be enjoyed atop yogurt or homemade ice cream.
Dried in a dehydrator and sliced, the persimmon can be integrated into granola or baked goods, or enjoyed simply as a snack. Fresh, roughly chopped persimmon can be cooked down on the stovetop with sugar, vinegar, and chili spices to make a warming Indian chutney. Change the flavors a bit, and then the cooked chutney base can be blended with other fruits to make a fruit salsa.
A fruiting tree can produce several hundred fruit. Competition for the windfall will include local wildlife, a consideration when foraging for the fruits, but otherwise gathering the fruit will do little to impact future harvests.
