Which type do you have? My asian persimmon is just beginning to color a bit- but mine tends to be a week or 2 behind my neighbor's, which isn't the same variety but is also an asian. The native ones can't be used until after they get soft- usually takes a frost to do that. They are astringent until then. Even some of the asian ones have the same trait (but mine doesn't- i can eat it while crunchy). I should be able to pick mine to eat in 3 or 4 weeks.

I don't have one but I've been offered the fruit from someone else's. I have no idea what variety it is but it looks like the old fashioned native (?) kind that I remember from my childhood. I looked at the tree yesterday and the fruit is turning and a few had ripened enough to drop off. I had heard the frost requirement, too, but these looked like they might be ready in a couple of weeks (although I really don't know how long they can stay on the tree with color before they totally ripen).

roberta, They will fall off the tree when they are ripe. Some folks put plastic on the ground beneath the tree so they fall on it and there is less washing. make sure they are very soft because some times hard ones fall also, and they are not to be used.

Some will split open and look dark, they can be used! Be careful and look out for the yellow jackets that may be on them.

Last week, I ate one off a wild tree in RTP. It was delicious.

I don't think the frost requirement is really true. Perhaps up north the fruit ripens round about the same time as the first frost, but the wild trees I see around here are almost bare by the time we get our first frost.

Just make sure it is soft.

Roberta, I've been freezing pulp since the 18th and am about an hour southwest of you.

Thanks for all the tips, especially the one about watching out for bees!