Alan, my tree is 6 years old to me. Meaning it was a 2 year old snapling when I got it in 2006. A couple of years ago, it starting putting on some nice size simmons. This is a little tree. I had to tie the branches together to keep them from breaking! I want another one but I'm planning on planting this guy in my front yard come Spring. I got 6 Paw Paw trees to plant near it. So, something is telling me not to get another one just yet. I love Fuyu simmons. Every year I get a couple but this year, I got a lot and will be giving some away. My wife and I walk the neighbourhood and one neight has an old tree that's about 10 tall. Every year I would ask her if I could get one piece of fruit. She always reply back, "its not ready yet". So this year, I told her, my persimmons ARE ready to pick. She just ignored me.
I also like Haychiya. They make Hoshi Gaki from them. For those that don't know, Hoshi Gaki is a technique in Japan where they take ripe Hachiya persimmon from a tree and tie a string to the stem and tie the fruit up inside. Every day they put on white gloves and massage the fruit as it dries. After a couple of weeks, the fruit turn black and semi thin about the thickness of a dried apricot maybe a little thicker. They are so so so so good!
My wife does not like persimmons. She says they taste like super sweet tomatoes. Me? I love the texture of a ripe persimmon in my mouth. It has a unique texture and of course....very sweet. Fuyu are not astringent. You can eat them while they are hard. Just like a apple. But to me, they are sweeter when they are soft. I my area, they grow slow and only about 10 feet tall.
Hey Pete, just tell her it's the newest and hardiest fig ever! Tell her its called "Figsimmon" from Portugal that only ripens in the Fall.