is ready to eat AFTER the first frost. If you try to eat a persimmon too soon the bitter taste of tannic acid will leave a terrible taste in your mouth. They are quite tasty when ripe. Our trees were planted by birds. Anyway last night was the first frost, another frost is expected tonight, no damage noticed in the garden.
We lit our jack-o-lanterns this evening and I went out to put out the candles. I heard a rustling in the bushes. Then saw this possum in the persimmon tree by the deck.
Notice the tiny persimmon just over it's head. Guess possums know exactly when to eat persimmons, or did we learn this from the possums?
Happy Halloween Everyone!
Hope the possum waits a few days before it eats our jack-o-lanterns!
It reached 59 degrees today, some bees were out and about, yesterday it was colder and rainy no bees came out. Our cold frames, two of the three are covered to keep leaves and acorns out at this point. All the seeds Meg planted last week are coming up.
Racoons will also let you know when the persimmons are ripe.
ReplyDeleteI've never seen a possum or a persimmon before so this was interesting!
ReplyDeleteWe also have a native, black-fruited persimmon. I caught the fox up in the tree eating them one day. They might have to wait for ever for a frost here so I don't think they mind. I learnt that it is a big part of their fall diet. Thank goodness they make use of these fruits which leave a horrible mess on the driveway or path.
ReplyDeleteI always thought it was when the persimmons fell to the ground and the deer ate them, they were ready to be baked into pies and puddings.
ReplyDeleteGreat pumpkins, Randy & Meg! We get NO trick-or-treaters here at all, so I don't go to the trouble anymore.
Did you get the stone house? :-) I saw an interesting listing for a cool modern house with 11 acres near the Eno in Durham. Kitchen and bath could use updating, but I loved the windows and ceilings vis-a-vis the outdoor connection.
Uh oh, I hadn't even considered the 'possums might sample our persimmons before we do. Seems there's always something willing to eat what we grow here. Love the pumpkins! We had to lock our carved ones in the chicken coop and turkey pen, or the wild creatures would probably devour them! Happy Fowloween!
ReplyDeleteI've never had a ripe persimmon but it is most helpful to know possums will help let us know when they are ripe.
ReplyDeleteGreat pumpkins! I think they are most cool and creative. Especially the 'Boo' in the scary ghost. Awesome jobs!
Nice carving job on the pumpkins!
ReplyDeleteGreat jack o' lanterns! We don't seem to have possums around here, although I know they do in Oregon, closer to the coast.
ReplyDeleteHi Randy, maybe it's us who learned from them. It is the same here, where the civet cat eats only the ripe and good quality coffee fruits. Then people found out that the coffee beans left and fermented inside its digestive tract are so flavorful and now gets very high price in the market. By the way, what happens to the bees during winter, i pity them so much as much as I pity the plants. I still remember your purple variegated banana which succumbed to the cold.
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