Do Persimmons Ever Get Soft?

[Fiddler]

After years of rather lackluster fruiting, my persimmon is really loaded. In years gone by, the birds ruined all the fruit before I could try any. I've never eaten a persimmon, so I don't know what to expect.
   Months ago I put a bird net up and have been watching and squeezing these fruit. They are showing good color, but remain hard as rocks. This has been going on for months.
   I tried one and wasn't too impressed. Will these fruit eventually soften and sweeten up if I leave them on the tree longer?

[K-Rimes]

There are two common types of persimmon, Fuyu and Hachiya - the former being firm more like an apple and flat and the latter being more elongated.

The Fuyus are eaten more at apple firmness, and the Hachiyas take on the super soft creamy texture that you may be expecting. I would pick a Hachiya any day over a Fuyu, but they are so sweet and rich it's hard to eat more than one in a day. The Fuyu on the other hand are pretty mild and go great in salads and the like.

There are probably a bunch of other varieties I am not familiar with that someone else can chime in with.

[Jack, Nipomo]

I have found with my Hachiya  that bird pecks fruit ripen early.  When they are really ripe they are like mucus, but readily eaten by birds (and opossums).  Picked early they do ripen.  The Fuyu (hard when picked, eaten like an apple) get somewhat soft.  I dry the fruit in a dryer for backpacking and slicing very soft fruit doesn't work well, however when sliced at a firm state they dry into sweet edible fruit.  Give the bird pecked fruit a try.

[pvaldes]

what species, american persimmon? asian persimmon?

Pick them hard, is super convenient. They will get mushy and sweet at home. You can dry them also, and they are very good  at this state (like a mix between a date and a fig). I dry them at the chimney for Christmas and I'm very fond of them