(HealthDayNews) -- Can you tell how bad the winter will be by looking inside a persimmon?
Folklore -- that collection of mostly unprovable communal wisdom -- says yes, according to the University of Illinois's College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences.
Here's how folklore predicts the severity of a coming winter. Cut open a persimmon seed and look at the shape of the kernel inside If the kernel is spoon-shaped, lots of heavy, wet snow is in the offing; if the kernel is fork-shaped, get ready for light, powdery snow and a mild winter; if the kernel is knife-shaped, you're in for bitter, cutting winds.
You have to open at least 10 seeds to get a clear picture of the kernel shape.
