Outdoor Elements
Picking Persimmons
Clip | 3m 38sVideo has Closed Captions
🍂✨ Out on a fall walk in the woods, Evie stumbled upon a sweet seasonal surprise —
🍂✨ Out on a fall walk in the woods, Evie stumbled upon a sweet seasonal surprise — a Persimmon tree! These natural treats are a favorite for wildlife once they drop to the ground, and they’re pretty special for us humans too. 🦌🍊 In this episode of Outdoor Elements, Evie shares what Persimmons are really like, how you can use them, and why they’re such an impor...
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Outdoor Elements is a local public television program presented by PBS Michiana
Outdoor Elements
Picking Persimmons
Clip | 3m 38sVideo has Closed Captions
🍂✨ Out on a fall walk in the woods, Evie stumbled upon a sweet seasonal surprise — a Persimmon tree! These natural treats are a favorite for wildlife once they drop to the ground, and they’re pretty special for us humans too. 🦌🍊 In this episode of Outdoor Elements, Evie shares what Persimmons are really like, how you can use them, and why they’re such an impor...
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipI found one and I'm so excited.
A late fall treat for me is finding a persimmon.
Native persimmon in the woods that still has fruit on it.
American persimmon is actually more commonly found in the southeastern part of the United States, but occasionally we find them in the Great Lakes region, and they are a special treat.
Now, easy to identify by this lumpy, lumpy bark.
But in late fall, you can also look up to the bear branches and find the berry like fruit still hanging on.
And that's when it's the sweetest, when it's not ripe.
The fruit can be a stringent, so I like to wait until late November, even early December in northern Indiana if I'm lucky enough to find a persimmon.
And really, the harvest method is kind of simple.
The fruit is way up there, so there's no way to pick it.
So literally you shake the tree.
Now the fruit will plop down, and sometimes I can find it and sometimes I can't.
But let's see if I can get any to drop it.
In.
Okay.
Well let's see.
So here's what it looks like.
You can see the skin is really, really thin.
And it cracks a little when it gets dropped to the ground.
It is, bearing a little bit of connecting a floral pattern there where it connects to the branch.
Although this one that dropped doesn't seem to have that, but.
Ooh, look how sweet and juicy that looks.
I animals love to eat these, so if they drop to the ground and are not by me, but if they just naturally drop to the ground.
Deer love to eat them.
Raccoons or possums so often around the base of the tree, I'll find seeds that, indicate that a critter has been there to actually eat them.
So what does it taste like?
Super sweet, super gooey.
So good.
With really big brown seeds that are surrounded by that orange pulp.
And you can plant these seeds if you want to try to grow an American persimmon.
But the species requires a male and a female tree to actually produce the delicious fruit.
So other than eating them fresh when they fall to the ground, what else can you do with them?
You can save the pulp, and you can freeze the pulp and then use it for things like persimmon pudding, persimmon bread.
I've even made persimmon ice cream, so this is a super treat for me.
I'm so happy to find it.
And I imagine all the critters here in the woods are happy to have this tree as well.
Remember, you can find your own outdoor elements when you visit area parks and natural areas.
We'll see you soon.
You.
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