Week of September 27, 2020

After return to our Florida home, we were greeted by our fall fruit crop:  PERSIMMONS, which of course we do not have Up North.   In 2016, we planted three trees, one from each of three varieties:  Fuyu, Izu, and Saijo.  This year, we had blossoms on all three and fruit on the Izu and Saijo (I suspect the squirrels ate the Fuyu).  They have a very odd flower and a late ripening fruit that is orange or yellow.  Protection against squirrel or raccoon predation is key.  This year, we have five nice fruit picked with more ripening on the trees.  The non-astringent Izu you can eat right off the tree, the Saijo needs to be dried.  The best way to eat them is to put them in the freezer, and after freezing use a scissors to  remove the cap and a spoon to scoop out the sherbet-like fruit.  It is a wonderful  treat In the Florida Fall.