Wild Food Plants of Indiana & Adjacent States

  Persimmon

     Visions of sugar plums may dance through your head as you gather the mottled, rusty-orange persimmon fruits, but if they are not ripe your vision will end in a pucker. The persimmon (Diospyros virginiana), a member of the Ebony Family (Ebenaceae), is native in Indiana from Franklin County northwest to Parke County south. Thickets of this small or medium-sized tree adorn abandoned fields and roadsides. Although not native to northern Indiana, the persimmon has been introduced into yards, orchards and parks with success. However, the persimmon is most naturally abundant in the unglaciated areas of southern Indiana, This slow-growing tree produces a large, pulpy berry, one to one-and-a half inches in diameter, that resembles a tiny jack-o'-lantern. The persimmon has the distinction of being the largest berry produced by any American forest tree. When fully ripe the fruit is sweet and delicious, but unripe it is harsh, mealy, and puckery. Although the ripening time varies from tree to tree, a general rule of thumb is to harvest them around the time of the first frost. Contrary to popular belief, the frost does not ripen the fruits, but hard freezes will destroy the fruit. The berries contain several large, flat seeds and a date-like pulp rich in iron, potassium and vitamin C. Preceding the fruits are tiny, urn-shaped, yellowish-white flowers that bloom in May and June. The thick, four-to-six inch long, alternate leaves are shiny and oval with sharp points and smooth margins. The deeply-furrowed bark, which resembles alligator hide, breaks into hard, square, chunky blocks, dark gray to black, separated by furrows that are cinnamon-red along the bottom.

     Every year after the first frost, a kindly lady in Fulton County gives us permission to gather the plump orange fruits from the tree in her yard. After gathering the wind fallen, ripe fruits from beneath the tree, we spread out our gathering sheet under the tree and shake the branches. If the fruits are ripe, shaking is enough to free them and they tumble onto the sheet. Those that cling to the branches are probably not ripe enough to eat. The quality of the fruit and the number of seeds will vary from tree to tree.

     Once you find a suitable tree gather your fill and make puddings, breads, butter, or whatever your imagination tells you. There are as many persimmon pudding recipes as there are cooks. If you don't believe up, just visit the Persimmon Festival held every fall at Mitchell, Indiana, in Lawrence County for a feast of persimmon treats. We have made several variations of persimmon p