Persimmons
KAKI PERSIMMONS
Diospyros kaki
The name Diospyros
literally translates to "Fruit of the Gods" and is an apt description
for the wonderful persimmon. Persimmons are one of the most widely
planted fruits in the world (the majority of the acreage is is Asia) and
are a member of the Ebony family (known for their hard wood: persimmon
was used for golf club heads). The American persimmon is native to the
east and grows wild from Florida to the Northeast U.S. and has a small
fruit with an excellent, nutty sweet flavor. However, if it is eaten
unripe, it has alum in the flesh and is very astringent (makes your
mouth feel like cotton).
We
offer a selection of the very best new varieties of Kaki (Asian)
persimmons of both astringent (must be eaten soft and completely ripe)
and non-astringent (can be eaten hard like an apple with no
astringency). Kaki are extremely popular in Asia - they consider them
like Americans do apples - a persimmon a day keeps the doctor away!
The
flavor of persimmons is unique. Non-astringent cultivars can be eaten
when still hard and yellow-orange in color, with a crisp texture and
soft flavor (great in fruit salads!). When completely ripe and red in
color, they have an incredibly rich, sweet flavor. Astringent varieties
often have more intense sweet flavor, but must be eaten soft (as we
say, in the bathtub!). They are truly a unique and wonderful fruit!
We
acquired our persimmon collection directly from Japan. My father, Dr.
A.T. Wallace, had a Japanese graduate student at the University of
Florida that sent the 30 best varieties from the Okitsu Research Station
near Tokyo to my father as a gift when he returned to Japan. My
grandfather, Dr. Bob Dunstan, grafted them off to wild persimmons
growing on our farm and these are the original introductions of some of
the best varieties that Japan has to offer. Our collection is unique to
American horticulture and we have sold tens of thousands of persimmon
trees over the last 30 years to growers all over the U.S.
The
most common commercial varieties grown today are Hachiya (astringent,
conical shape) and Fuyu (non-astringent, flat shape). However, there
are excellent new varieties that we offer that have better flavor, or
ripen earlier than these varieties. There are several very cold hardy
cultivars that can be grown in protected locations as far north as PA
and NY, especially in the milder microclimates along the coast. Kaki
thrive throughout the South.
Kaki
Persimmons are a profitable orchard crop. Grown commercially in
California (primarily the variety Jiro, but sold as Fuyu), orchards of
non-astringent varieties can produce yields of up to 10,000 lbs/acre and
bring prices of $1.00/lb or more wholesale. Persimmons are fairly easy
to grow, with few major pests. Non-astringent cultivars can be
harvested while just showing color and shipped readily in standard fruit
packing boxes. Even astringent varieties, when picked still hard, will
ripen completely on the shelf over several weeks, making it an easy
crop to bring to market.
"For
a supply of persimmons which lasts until harvest the following October,
I fill a freezer with the fully ripened Saijo, Gionbo and Hachiya using
small sandwich-sized freezer bags. The persimmons are frozen whole
after removing the stems. I received wood to propagate persimmons from
Dr. Dunstan in the late 1960s." Robert C. Stump, DeRidder, LA, Pomona
Fall 2009 Vol. XLII No. 4.
We only sell container-grown persimmons. The native American persimmon, Diospyros virginiana,
is very deeply tap-rooted and has little side branching, unless grown
in a root-enhancing container. Our trees will have a much better
transplant rate than field-grown persimmons.
Kaki
persimmons are one of the true delicacies in the world of growing
fruit. Asian cultures have revered this fruit for thousands of years.
Now we have the opportunity to enjoy the incredible diversity and
flavors of these fruit in the U.S.!
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