Paw Paws????

[Blackwater]

Folks, I'm an old south Ga. country boy, and my wife planted some paw paw trees, and sure enough, one of them just bore fruit this year, after she planted an opposite sex tree near it. So my question is .... what in the world do we do with them???? I have no idea. She ate one raw this evening, said it had a mildly sweet "kind'a custardly" taste and texture to it. But I never know about her descriptions of tastes, without tasting one myself. I didn't partake because I was full, so that'll come later for me.

What can be done with paw paws, and is it worth it??? I don't have a clue about them, really. HELP!

[labradigger1]

Eat them dead ripe. Akin to banana/custard taste. Huge seeds. Fwiw deer won't eat them but I do.

[Bulldogger]

They are great well-ripened and eaten raw as mentioned, and they are also good to add to breads for their banana-like flavor and texture. I pick them wild here in some of the older national and State parks. Intend to grow my own too. Nice fruit. To some they have a bitter taste, my mother hates them, but other find them pleasant.
Bulldogger

[Thundarstick]

I eat them all the time in the August squirrel season, if I beat the opossums and raccoons to them! I've seen recipes for pawpaw ice cream but never had it. For what is worth the fruit don't taste the same from every tree.

[snowwolfe]

Wish I could get our trees to grow. Planted 2, two years ago and the little guys are still only about 30 inches tall. Plenty of leaves but they are slow growers for sure.

[Reverend Al]

Well you got me going on this one. I'd never heard of "Paw Paw"s before and had to go look it up online to find out what they were! Interesting looking fruit, but never seen or heard of it up here in the Northwest ...

[CIC]

I have a huge patch of them in my woods. They are OK.

[MaryB]

Never tasted one, they don't grow on the frozen tundra of the MN prairie!

[Bulldogger]

Never tasted one, they don't grow on the frozen tundra of the MN prairie!
IIRC Pawpaws are found naturally as far north as Canada MaryB. They tend to grow in patches and prefer to be left alone in unmolested territory, so development and landscaping practices seem to discourage them.
They are cold hardy, and should you wish to try, they can be grown where you're at.
They look and taste tropical, and some believe they migrated North naturally over many many years, and developed tolerance on the way.
Since I'm from Indiana, it follows I prefer to call them by their common nickname "Hoosier Banana"

They don't ripen off the tree, they don't tolerate transport (more sensitive than peaches, perhaps since they have to be ripened on the tree), and so they are unknown by many.

They are YUMMY when you get a good one. I eat them skin and all (the seeds are nice and big for spitting at your siblings...).

Bulldogger

[KenH]

I didn't partake because I was full

What's being full got to do with not tasting a new food? Well, maybe that's why I have a problem with my weight, I just LOVE food :)

I was thinking Paw Paws where a Southern tree, didn't think they would grow in the frozen north country..... north of Mason Dixon line? But I do stand corrected. 201506

[William Yanda]

I guess we'll have to settle for apples here in NY

[MaryB]

Reading says Zone 5, I am zone 4. And I get deep cold, -31 is the record low here... I do know of a peach that can survive here but it is iffy


IIRC Pawpaws are found naturally as far north as Canada MaryB. They tend to grow in patches and prefer to be left alone in unmolested territory, so development and landscaping practices seem to discourage them.
They are cold hardy, and should you wish to try, they can be grown where you're at.
They look and taste tropical, and some believe they migrated North naturally over many many years, and developed tolerance on the way.
Since I'm from Indiana, it follows I prefer to call them by their common nickname "Hoosier Banana"

They don't ripen off the tree, they don't tolerate transport (more sensitive than peaches, perhaps since they have to be ripened on the tree), and so they are unknown by many.

They are YUMMY when you get a good one. I eat them skin and all (the seeds are nice and big for spitting at your siblings...).

Bulldogger

[Blackwater]

Well, thanks for your input. The wife described the same sort of taste you've mentioned - "custardy" and "banana like." We don't have but one tree bearing, since we put an opposite sex tree in to fertilize it. But she liked it, though only casually so. I had heard of them only in the old song, "Pickin' up paw paws, put 'em in yer pocket." We only had two and she ate one, and then the other the next day. She just likes things that are "different," I think, so I didn't partake ... yet.

Just wondered what might be done with them. Thanks for the input. Personally, I live most fruits best just like they come off the tree. Color me impatient, I guess? :)

[Bulldogger]

Speaking of Pawpaws, they are ripening now in the DC Metro area. I picked some off my favorite lunchtime walking park today. YUM!
BDGR

[Boaz]

I have avoided this thread . I have never seen a paw paw , ain't none in my country . But as a child in school we sang about pickin up paw paws and putting em in your pocket . lol . Same song;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsZ6RS67oAY

[Blackwater]

Ken, we're a little south of that map, down in SE Ga., so their range may well depend on just what kind of weather one has .... and how long it lasts???? Anyway, it's surely edible, but nothing special, at least to my palate, anyway. It was new to me and it was pretty good, but I'll never like any fruit as much as I do blueberries .... and strawberries .... and pears and peaches and .. and ... and .... well, I guess you get my drift? I've never really gone bananas over sweets, EXCEPT pastries with fruits in them. Now THAT .... well .... that stuff used to really get my motor cranked up! BIG time!