Have you ever eaten a paw paw?
Paw Paws are our native tropicalesque fruit. They are in the Annonaceae family along with custard apple, soursop, guayabana and others. They grow wild in 25 states in the USA even in some Canadian provinces.
Oftentimes found as an understory tree along creek beds, paw paws (Asimina triloba) grow into thickets due to their suckering habits. Come late summer clusters of oval fruits hang from their branches. They’re known for their bright custard innards and each time they’re in season we’re amazing they aren’t more popular!
Their bright flesh and distinctive aroma make them an amazing fruit to forage. They are the largest fruit native to North America. They are comparable to a mango or banana, but they also boast hints of citrus and vanilla. To truly understand the depth of flavor, you have to try one for yourself.
Today we went on a hike in our local water way in search of these delectable fruits that prefer moist environments. The fertile creek beds are a perfect habitat for this attractive tree.
After sampling my first fruit (many years after hearing about them) I was hooked! I still can barely believe that these scrumptious fruits grow in such a wide range of habitats including our own backyard.
Fruits are born in clusters and often known as Hoosier bananas or hillbilly mangoes. We found some clusters of 7 fruits today.
Why don't you see they gracing fruit stand throughout the country? Good question. It may have been a much more common occurrence in years gone by, but this fantastic fruit is making a comeback. One major drawback is they have a short shelf life, and don't ship as easily as most commercial fruits.
The most impressive cluster of the day!
We were blessed with the biggest harvest we’ve ever had! By shaking the trees that bear fruit, we are able to colelct only the ripest fruit and allow the rest to reach maturity before going back to harvest more paw paws. In this video we walk you through the entire process and you get to watch us have mouth-gasms as we ate some!
The trees are laden, and we harvest all the ripe fruit we can before the raccoons and possums get to them.
Happy forager with the bounty of today's paw paw mission
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