The Fall Jewel - Dried Persimmon Progress Report

I thought it may be interesting to note the progress at which the cone shaped astringent type persimmons were getting their dehydration -- in my garage.  I still have the concern with birds in the backyard and pollution in the air, so I have not built this dehydration tree using dowels that I got.  I need to do that, however, since I will be cropping a lot more persimmons today.
So Day 1 and and Day 2 images of persimmons show the varied degrees of moisture loss.
Outer fresh starting to look dry.
I decided to "massage" one of them as described in the process at some of the Japanese website regarding drying persimmon - HOSHIGAKI.
The experience is interesting enough to say, if you have not tried it - you should to understand what I am talking about.
At first, the persimmon felt like a unripe Avocado.  But as you start to gently squeeze a bit, you will feel the inner membrane move around.  Then, you gently massage a bit more without making any break on the outer fresh, and you are done.  According to some Japanese website related to drying persimmons, they do this daily.  Surely, the persimmon that I massage got orangish ripening look the next day more than the others.  So, I decided to massage everyone.  (with gloves, of course for the food service type.)
By 5th day, this morning, when I checked, the outer fresh is quite leathery.  They have lost 60% of the moisture.

3:30 pm 11/14/09 - Found out why the 'massaging' of hang drying persimmons are beneficial.
I just so happen to go through garage in the afternoon and found these persimmon's colors are different then in the morning around 9 am.  They look more orangish.  I think the massage has brought the moisture - the 'juice' to the surface.

Also, here is photos of whole and halved ripened astringent type persimmons that were dried in the dehydrator.  Tasted awesomely delicious.  I only got three left.  Others, I made Persimmon - FUYU Bundt Cake (FUYU non-astringent type) and Persimmon Cookies (astringent type).   I will post those later tonight.