100 Day Project 2021

Friday, October 18, 2013

It's All In The Persimmon

This is my first time to link to Friday Finds. I've seen it on several of my friends blogs, so thought I'd give it a try. Kim Klassen's Friday Finds "is a place to gather and share your finds with fellow creatives..."  Finds can be anything objects, thoughts, moments, or lessons. All you have to do is find something, post a picture, and write a little about your discovery.
 
I set out to find the weather prediction for winter in our area.
According to folklore, all you need is a persimmon seed.
First, you have to find a persimmon tree.
We happen to have one in our back yard.
 
 
Then you walk around the tree looking for a fruit you want to pick The green ones are not quite ripe. I'll warn you don't succumb to the temptation to take a bite out of the green ones...they are quite bitter.
 
 
While your looking up, glance down every once in a while. The ripe ones that have fallen to the ground are quite mushy and attract yellow jackets.
 
 
When they're ripe they turn a pretty light orange..
 
 
Find the one you want to pick.

 

Cut it open and dig out the seeds.
They smell really good, but they sure are messy.
 

 
 
You have to cut the small, hard seeds in half. I have tried to cut them open with a knife, but kept slicing my fingers, so now I use a pair of pliers to crack them. You must be careful or you'll mess up the inside of the seed that predicts the weather.
 
 
Predicts the weather?
Yes, according to folklore and The Farmer's Almanac the inside of the seed predicts the type of winter weather you'll be getting your area. Here's  my FIND...
It looks like we'll be having snow!!  Yea!!

 
 
Here's how this works...
When cut into two pieces, the persimmon seed will display one of three symbols.
A spoon shape stands for a shovel to dig out of the snow.
A fork shape means a mild winter and
a knife shape indicates a cold icy winter (where wind will cut through you like a knife.)
So far many spoons and some knives have been spotted in Arkansas.
 
 
In case you don't have a persimmon tree available and no local persimmons at the market,  there are other ways nature predicts winter.
  •  If you have a corn crop and your silks are very abundant, then you’re going to have a cold winter because they’re protecting things.
  •  For every fog on the mountain you saw in August, there would be a snow in January. (too late to check this one out!)
  •  Look for a bad winter if: squirrels begin collecting nuts in mid- to late-September.
  • Heavy crop of berries, acorns and pine cones or onions with many layers means cold winters.
  •  Winter will be bad if there are a lot of woolly bear caterpillars around, and if the caterpillars have more black than brown. If the woolly bear is brown at both ends and orange in the middle, winter will be mild.
 
 
Of course, I guess you could just check one of your electronics for the weather forecast, but it won't be near as fun!
 
Kim Klassen dot Com

20 comments:

  1. well that is a new one on me, I love persimmons so much, and as a kid I have tried a few green ones in my time also. Are you sure that is a spoon? Kinda looks like a knife or a cross between a knife and a spoon, maybe ice and snow. Only time will tell. Good story telling and we will see. Thanks Cathy that was a good one.

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  2. Well I'll be darned. I had no idea!

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  3. Well, the persimmon lore is a new one to me! I'd heard some of the others on your list. So happy to see you here at 'Friday Finds'!

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  4. Wow, I had no idea! Great persimmon photos and great folklore lesson too (though I am hoping for the non-snow version in my little piece of the world!). Happy weekend. :)

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  5. these are fascinating! tripp's been saying he's expecting a cold, wet winter. and my dogwood trees are COVERED in berries. so i guess we will see. have a great weekend cathy!

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  6. What a fun post! There are definitely no persimmons growing at high altitude and no caterpillars to check. However, I've noticed the squirrels have been VERY busy. And - we got more snow last night!

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  7. What fun! You always come up with the most interesting stories and historical facts! I love the "spoon" symbol. And yeah for you - snow in the forecast :) A fun series.

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  8. I have never tasted persimmon. I hope the snow prediction is for your area only and stays away from central Illinois!

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  9. Thanks for sharing the folk lore like you say far more intereting than using tech ! Have a great weekend

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  10. What a great lesson! This was a fabulous find. And congratulations on joining Friday Finds :)

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  11. Fun to hear about the persimmons' prediction! Love the shot with the open seed and the little shovel shape inside! I just love Folklore!

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  12. Fascinating, Cathy! Love this kind of info.

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  13. I never knew you could learn so much from a persimmon! How interesting that it can also predict the winter.
    Beautiful images, as usual, Cathy!

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  14. I was waiting to get my hair cute Thursday and the shop ladies were talking about the inside of the permissions and what it meat. One year Mikes' family was up one week-end and I have two trees. Dylan and Gina worked for a long while before they go one and it had a spoon. Isn't God's nature wonderful He puts them where we get to discover his handy work. That was a special week end and now I will remember it forever. The photo with you picking the persimmon was my favorite.. God's wonderful handy work in nature and in us.

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  15. Beautiful Autumn photo!
    Greetings, RW & SK

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  16. This was a fun project, although it sounds like lots of work. I've always relied on our squirrels to signal us regarding the winter coming up. I think there's a lot of wisdom in these old farm traditions. Beautiful shots of your persimmons.

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  17. Haven't yet linked to FF but must say that if all of the links lead to a great little blog like this...I will be in good company! Don't think I've ever seen a persimmon let alone opened one up. But living along the Jersey Shore we usually have mild winters...well mostly, anyway. Ever since we got hit by super storm Sandy...almost a year *sigh*...things haven't quite been the same...so there's no telling what kind of winter to expect.

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  18. Great shots and so much interesting information about the persimmons! Your spoon is most likely just as accurate of a predictor as the weatherman.

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  19. dontcha love weather "forecasts" like these? i had a friend tell me the other day that he knew of a man that bought 40 persimmons, cracked them all open and they ALL had spoon shaped seeds! yippee! my boy and i sure could use some snow days this year.

    and as a mean joke, when i was little, my dad and mom gave my brother, sister and me all unripe persimmons one time when we were out hiking the buffalo river valley. man, i never tasted anything so sour and blech! in my whole life! ; )

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  20. What a fun and informative post! I especially liked the photo where you were trying to crack open the seed. To me it looked very much like prey in the mouth of an ancient dinosaur.

    You will need to report back in spring about the accuracy of the persimmon's forecast.

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Thanks so much for stopping by!!