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Persimmon is a fruit with a pronounced seasonality, which in Our Country can be purchased exclusively from late autumn to mid-winter. It differs not only in its original bright taste, but also in health benefits, therefore it becomes a valuable tool for strengthening immunity and preventing beriberi. However, this applies only to ripe and fresh fruits, respectively, you need to know how to choose them – after all, even during the persimmon season, unripe and spoiled fruits are found in stores.
When persimmon sings
Persimmon begins to ripen from about mid-August – at this time, fruit ovaries begin to rapidly increase in size from 1-2 cm in diameter to 7-8, while changing color to a typical variety.
The ripening period for persimmons is October-November. The specific time of the beginning of the season depends on the climatic features in the region of cultivation, the weather in summer and autumn, the characteristics of a particular variety or hybrid. But in most cases, the fruits continue to ripen when the trees are already shedding their leaves. It looks very original, especially in central Our Country, where in the middle of autumn it often snows.
The birthplace of persimmon is the tropics and subtropics of Southeast Asia; this is the reason for the peculiarities of its vegetative period
Harvest times for persimmons vary depending on their intended use. If the fruits are grown for personal consumption, you need to “wait until the last”. At the end of the season, the skin will acquire its most intense color, and the flesh will begin to flatten slightly when pressed.
Fruit cultivated on an industrial scale cannot be transported over long distances when ripe. Therefore, they are removed a little underripe.
When does persimmon season start in Our Country?
Almost all persimmons in Our Country are grown in the south (Black Sea region, Krasnodar Territory, Crimea). There, the season of its collection begins in the last days of October or in the first decade of November.
There are also frost-resistant, early-ripening varieties that can take root and bear fruit in the Lower Volga region and the Central region. They are bred on the basis of the most hardy natural varieties – ordinary (Caucasian) and virgin. They acquire their characteristic taste only after the first frost, so the harvest season begins around mid-November.
Culture is not particularly popular in central Our Country, it is grown only by individual “enthusiasts”
When picking persimmons in other countries
Trees bloom in April-May, fruit ovaries begin to form in 40-45 days. Accordingly, the ripening season of the earliest varieties of persimmon falls on the first half of October, mid-late and late-ripening – in December.
Imported persimmon comes to Our Country with a certain “delay” relative to the time of its ripening. Therefore, the season for fruit in stores begins in the first half of November and lasts until January-February.
Under optimal or close to this conditions, the process of fruit ripening stretches for 7-8 months.
How persimmons are harvested
Even a perfectly ripe persimmon cannot be easily removed from the stem – it is securely attached to it. Significant physical efforts in this case are unacceptable – the sepals are inevitably damaged, which sharply reduces the keeping quality and transportability, provokes the development of mold, rot, and other pathogenic microflora, even if the fruit is not harvested quite in season, but a little earlier.
Persimmons are harvested using garden shears or pruners. The stalk is cut as close as possible to the sepals, so that during transportation it does not damage the “neighboring” fruits. Handle the fruits with extreme care, holding them with your hand.
Any mechanical damage, even small dents, scratches, tears on the skin during the collection process are unacceptable
The collected persimmons are laid out in boxes with the bottom of the stalks covered with sawdust so that the fruits do not touch each other. Fully ripe fruits – exclusively in one layer, intended for transportation – in 3-4, sprinkling with soft packaging material or wrapping each in paper.
Which persimmon is better to choose
Even in season, unripe or, on the contrary, overripe fruits are found on store shelves. To choose fresh, juicy fruits, sweet and without an unpleasant tart-astringent aftertaste, you need to focus on the following signs:
- Too pale, yellow-orange skin clearly “signals” that the persimmon was harvested before the start of the season, completely unripe. Her taste definitely leaves much to be desired. In high-quality fruits, the skin is painted in bright, saturated colors – from orange to amber and red-brown. It is translucent, often the flesh is slightly translucent through it. The presence of a thin layer of bluish wax coating is not a sign of depravity, but a feature of certain varieties.
- Ripeness is evidenced by “dried” brownish strokes or stripes on the skin, as if “encircling” the fruit. If they are present, it can be argued that the persimmon is harvested in season. The more of them, the sweeter the fruit.
- In a ripe persimmon, when softly pressed, the flesh is slightly fed under the fingers, but there are no dents on it. If it is too hard (almost like an apple), the fruits are clearly harvested before the start of the season. Too soft fruit already develops rot.
The sepals of ripe fruits are green but dry, and the skin underneath is brownish.
Conclusion
When the persimmon season begins in different countries depends mainly on the characteristics of the local climate. In Our Country, these fruits can be bought only in the cold season – in autumn and winter. But only ripe and fresh fruits will be tasty, healthy and safe for health, so you need to be able to choose them correctly, because even in season there are “substandard” on the shelves.
