Can you predict the weather with persimmon seeds? According to folklore, yes! The Persimmon Lady’s annual winter forecast revealed! Get the 2022-23 forecast here.
It’s that time of year again when we check in with Melissa Bunker—a.k.a. “The Persimmon Lady”—of central North Carolina, who sends us her winter predictions based on the persimmon seeds she opens from her locally grown persimmon fruit.
What Is A Persimmon?
A persimmon is a soft, edible fruit (provided you bite into one that is lush and ripe, otherwise, you’re in for an unpleasant surprise) that looks similar to an orange-colored tomato. It can be eaten fresh, cooked, or dried. Persimmons make delicious jams, pies, steamed puddings, breads and cakes, stuffing, curry, and cookies. They are also delicious when sliced and served fresh in green salads with watercress and nuts. And they’re loaded with nutrition.
Persimmon Seeds in Folklore
But persimmons also have an uncanny ability to predict the weather! The seeds, that is. According to folklore, if you crack open a persimmon seed from a ripe, locally grown fruit and look at the shape inside (called a cotyledon), it can forecast the winter weather for the area in which it was grown:
Fork shape = winter will be mild;
Spoon shape = there will be a lot of snow;
Knife shape = winter will be bitingly cold that “cuts like a knife.”
The Persimmon Lady’s 2021-22 Forecast
In order to read the seeds, Melissa cracks open 10 seeds from ripe fruit and reveals what’s inside, in order. She read this year’s seeds on September 20, 2021. So what do they say about the upcoming winter? Here’s what the seeds revealed:
This year’s seeds (2021-22) revealed the following: all forks and 1 knife. Translation: a mild winter with an ice event for North Carolina.
Revealed: Watch The Persimmon Lady’s 2021-22 Forecast Unfold
Watch Melissa Bunker, The Persimmon Lady, and her helper crack into the persimmon seeds to reveal this year’s forecast!
Follow the Persimmon Lady on Facebook.
How does Melissa’s forecast compare with the Almanac’s “Frosty Flip-Flop” winter forecast?
