I love the taste but hate the texture of fresh persimmons, so I have figured out a few different ways to eat them to avoid that snotty texture. 

How to Harvest

I head over to a Persimmon tree armed with a large pot with a bail handle for easy carrying, a tarp and an arborists throw ball (get the 12 oz ball)

The ripe persimmons are SUPER squishy. If they're firm at all, they aren't ripe yet. You can split one open and put it to your tongue if you aren't sure. Less-than-ripe persimmons make your mouth pucker and get super dry. Trust me, it's REALLY obvious if it isn't ripe. 

First, I hunt around on the ground, stepping VERY carefully to find all the perfectly ripe persimmons that have just fallen that day. Once I'm satisfied I've gotten the good ones, I spread a tarp out and get out my throw ball. 

How to get more persimmons with an arborists throw ball:

Processing the Sugar Plums

If you have zero time for processing and want to eat them, but also hate the texture, just smash them onto your fruit trays in your dehydrator. I love THIS dehydrator because it has a timer- no more getting up in the middle of the night to turn off the machine. Smash them so that each persimmon is an even thickness. I just throw the dried whole fruits in a bag and eat around the seeds. 

You'll need a food mill or a blender with plastic dough blades to separate the pulp from the seeds. I use THIS food mill which is turned by hand. 

I do one of two things with the pulp-  I either freeze it to bake with later or I spread it on fruit trays in my dehydrator and make fruit leather. 

Here is a video tutorial:

Happy Harvesting!!

Way back in 2010, I wrote this post on what I kept in my Stohlquist kitty PFD while leading sea kayaking expeditions. When I wrote that post, I had led around a thousand miles of trips. Now that mileage has grown significantly, and what I carry in my new Kokatat Hustle PFD has changed a little bit too. Here is a video update, and more info below the video if you would like to read more. 

Here is what is in my Kokatat Hustle PFD in the video:

Fox40 Micro Whistle - little and LOUD

NRS Co-Pilot Rescue Knife - the blunt-tipped knife with a quick release sheath designed to integrate into a PFD knife holder

Petzl E+Lite Ultra Compact Headlamp - the tiny waterproof headlamp that lives in my PFD so I always have a light

Black Diamond Storm 500 Lumen Headlamp - I carry this when I plan to be out in the dark. It is VERY bright

Petzl Djinn Bent Gate Carabiner - Totally rust-proof. The bent gate makes it smoother to use. 

My favorite reef-safe sunscreens:

Sky & Sol Mineral Tallow Sunscreen - the best sunscreen for your skin

Badger Mineral Sunscreen - clean ingredients, super effective sunscreen 

Blue Lizard Face Stick -this fits REALLY well in a PFD pocket

Badger SPF Lip Balm - clean ingredients

But what about your phone?

What I'm adding in 2025

I've always kept my water bottle in my cockpit, which is awful when I'm in choppy conditions and wearing a spray skirt. Leaving my water on the deck of my boat means that it gets really hot in the sun. I've always hesitated to put a hydration bladder on my PFD, but this year I'll be leading 6 weeks of trips and I have decided to try it out.