This is What Happens When I Forget My Smartphone

Yesterday, I was talking to a neighbor who told me that there was a winesap apple tree at the park down the street, and that it still had some apples on it.

I know that I said I was done canning, but who listens to me anyways?  And winesap apples are great for canned pie filling.  So off to the park I tread.

I picked about a peck, which was all that was in reach.  I'll hafta come back another day to get the higher up ones.  On my way back, I walked by a tree absolutely overflowing with yellow-orange goodness.  I know from talking to that same neighbor that it's an American Persimmon tree and that you shouldn't eat them 'till you've cooked them. 

Having forgotten my phone, which is way smarter than I am, this was the point at which I should have gone home to look up what a ripe American Persimmon looks like.  But I'm arrogant and I said to myself, " Angela, you're an intelligent (and good looking) kinda chick.  You can tell when an apple is ripe, or a tomato or a peach.  Use what you know, and figure it out.  Afterall, you live 5 houses away and do you really want to walk back just to look something up and walk back here again?"  

So, I picked about a peck of fruit.  Yellow/orange and soft, as opposed to green and hard (under ripe) or orange proper with blueish spots and so soft that it might fall apart in your hands (what I presumed was overripe... rotting even).  Then I trotted home, pleased as could be with myself, my haul, and my obvious fruit intelligence.  

Then I hit the internet.  Apparently, those ones I thought were way past ripe were just ripe and the ones I had picked are pretty much inedible.  I didn't pick the tree clean by any means, but I picked enough to feel like an ass and to not feel right not leaving the rest for my neighbors.  Now my goal is to salvage these buggers.  I read that putting them in a brown bag IN THE FRIDGE with a few overripe apples can help ripen them, and others suggested that freezing them would help.  Here's hoping i can salvage them.  If not, I'll know better next year.