How do I know if my persimmons are ripe?

Sweet! Put them in a paper bag with a banana. Will see how they look for tomorrow night.

I believe Kaki are what we call Fuyu, so you can probably eat it before it becomes supersoft.

Thanks everyone! The sticker on this persimmon says Kaki persimmon Spain. And it is definitely not soft. I have a feeling that patience is going to be the main ingredient in this persimmon pudding.

Hachiya persimmons needs to be practically gelatinous before they are ready to eat. Fuyu can be eaten hard, as mrslarkin says, but left alone, they will also ripen to a very soft consistency. With Fuyus, it's essentially a matter of how you're planning on using them and your own preferences.

FYI, there are two basic types of persimmons. Fuyu persimmons, squatter and flatter, are the ones you eat when hard. Hachiya persimmons, taller and more conical, are the ones you let ripen to super-soft.

They should be very soft and have an almost-translucent look to them. You can help speed the ripening by storing them in a paper bag with a banana.

Persimmons are ripe when they are soft, gently push against the flesh and it should give, it should not spring back (hence the gentle pressure, you don't want to bruise it!). Unlike apples or pears, the inside is more jelly-ish and not at all mealy, hard is not good. Mmmmm, persimmon pudding, one of my favorites!