PawPaw Fruit

ArcticLight

ArcticLight

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Mar 27, 2003
977
68
Silverdale, WA
#1
Got reading on pawpaw trees and fruit last night after watching "The Hatfields and McCoys" -

Who's tried the pawpaw fruit? Anyone have access to any when they ripen?
I'm in for a shoe box size of them...
 
#2
Re: PawPaw Fruit

They are not good until it frosts on them, it kinda sweetens them up. Haven't seen a tree in years. When i was young and at home there were several trees around that area. Same place that the feud happened.
 
#5
Re: PawPaw Fruit

We have trees all over my area. I've picked a few but never when they have been ripe, apparently the animals get them before I do when there good eating.

FWIW, the trees like moist soil, riverbanks are a good location and low laying drainage areas. The trees have very distinct leaves.
 
#6
Re: PawPaw Fruit

Do you have a large farmers market in your area? Where I grew up there were some around along with persimmon trees.(you should try one of these as well) They look kinda like strawberrys and taste kinda like a banana. As kids we preferred crab apples and muscadines. We could always get one of the moms to bake pies from our pickens. Just kidding on the persimmon, they make lemons taste sweet.
 
#7
Re: PawPaw Fruit

I have found a few paw paw bushes around the woods this year, some with fruit. I have been luck enough to find a ripe one or two in my lifetime, but as previously stated, the animals get them first.
Also known in Alabama as the "poor man's banana",because of it's flavor.
The seeds look like dark brown lima beans, and can be found in fox droppings in season. I suppose you could plant these seeds, but I have never tried it.
The persimmons are good after frost. Before that, They are quite astringent.
Now that I think about it, those seeds in the fox droppings might have been persimmon....
Hmmm.. maybe I will plant some to find out.
 
#9
Re: PawPaw Fruit

we have them here in ohio. i eat them every year. they are referred to as the poor mans banana. they are quite delicious and highly regarded as a anti cancer treatment in the herbal world.
 
#10
Re: PawPaw Fruit

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Chingon</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I thought Pawpaws were a papayas? </div></div>

Nope. must be a city boy.
google them.

You have probably seen them and thought wild strawberry.
 
#11
Re: PawPaw Fruit

We have a few Pawpaw trees where I hunt in Rockbridge County Virginia. You can smell the trees before you get to them in the fall time frame. I have ate some and they are not bad tasting but some can be bitter tasting too. But, then you find that nice and ripe one and it has a distinct taste that is sweet.
 
#12
Re: PawPaw Fruit

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: coach482</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Chingon</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I thought Pawpaws were a papayas? </div></div>

Nope. must be a city boy.
google them.

You have probably seen them and thought wild strawberry. </div></div>

I think you are referring to Mayhaw fruit, not pawpaw.
Pawpaws are referred to as papayas in other countries. And no....I didn't know that, I had to google it. I have never seen one, or heard of it, before. Pawpaws have no resemblance to wild strawberries.

Mayhaws, on the other hand, are pretty common in my and your neck of the woods.
Mayhaw jelly is about the only jelly I will eat, but it is getting harder and harder to find.
 
#13
Re: PawPaw Fruit

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Jethro3898</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: coach482</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Chingon</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I thought Pawpaws were a papayas? </div></div>

Nope. must be a city boy.
google them.

You have probably seen them and thought wild strawberry. </div></div>

I think you are referring to Mayhaw fruit, not pawpaw.
Pawpaws are referred to as papayas in other countries. And no....I didn't know that, I had to google it. I have never seen one, or heard of it, before. Pawpaws have no resemblance to wild strawberries.

Mayhaws, on the other hand, are pretty common in my and your neck of the woods.
Mayhaw jelly is about the only jelly I will eat, but it is getting harder and harder to find.

</div></div>

Papaya may be refered as pawpaw in other countries but here in the states they are "Indiana bananas".
I have some seeds and I have managed to get some seedlings but not having much luck keeping them alive.
The fruit looks like sort of a smooth squat cucumber. and the seeds are as big as giant lima beans and dark brown. Clean and dry the seeds, put them in your fridge over winter and plant them in the spring. They germinate well but I think your soil needs to be just right. I may live too high in elevation.
 
#14
Re: PawPaw Fruit



You have probably seen them and thought wild strawberry. [/quote]

Pawpaws have no resemblance to wild strawberries.

Mayhaws, on the other hand, are pretty common in my and your neck of the woods.
Mayhaw jelly is about the only jelly I will eat, but it is getting harder and harder to find.

[/quote]
I was just messing with people that did not know. In a previous thread I was told I was boring, thought I would try to stir things up, FAIL.
 
#15
Re: PawPaw Fruit

Well what I'm reading says the trees WILL grow up here as well so I'm going to try to find a few.

BUT - if you find some fruit this fall please keep me in mind!! Love to try it!!


I too heard they taste like a papaya, they seem to be a hidden gem this country has...
 
#18
Re: PawPaw Fruit

Haven't heard anyone mention Pawpaws in years. Had a relatively big tree (for a Pawpaw) or bush in my Grandparents yard beside one of the holy god sized black walnuts. I used the large tear drop shaped leaves to try and make a set of wings for flying.
Wings didn't work, but I used to watch my Grandfather stand in the yard and consume them with some glee.
 
#19
Re: PawPaw Fruit

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: armorpl8chikn</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Coach now you are trying to be funny sending these fellers after grapes and hickory nuts.
Muscadines ARE grapes and wild pecans are hickory nuts. </div></div>

Don't forget ramps, Sassafras root tea, persimmon pie and poke salad. Growing up in the woods of NC has some perks
grin.gif
 
#20
Re: PawPaw Fruit

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: coach482</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Chingon</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I thought Pawpaws were a papayas? </div></div>

Nope. must be a city boy.
google them.

You have probably seen them and thought wild strawberry. </div></div>

In South Africa we call Papayas, Paw Paws
 
#21
Re: PawPaw Fruit

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: coach482</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Chingon</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I thought Pawpaws were a papayas? </div></div>

Nope. must be a city boy.
google them.

You have probably seen them and thought wild strawberry.</div></div>

Papaya in other countries are sometimes called Pawpaws.

That being said, this is not another country but I thought the two were basically cousins.

And I'm not a city boy, a relocated Texan would fit the bill.

You must be a country boy with bad internet.
smile.gif
 
#22
Re: PawPaw Fruit

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: ggmanning</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: armorpl8chikn</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Coach now you are trying to be funny sending these fellers after grapes and hickory nuts.
Muscadines ARE grapes and wild pecans are hickory nuts. </div></div>

Don't forget ramps, Sassafras root tea, persimmon pie and poke salad. Growing up in the woods of NC has some perks
grin.gif
</div></div>

Girlfriends brother sends up ramps every year!

Good for the breath! LOL
 
#24
Re: PawPaw Fruit

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: ggmanning</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: armorpl8chikn</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Coach now you are trying to be funny sending these fellers after grapes and hickory nuts.
Muscadines ARE grapes and wild pecans are hickory nuts. </div></div>

Don't forget ramps, Sassafras root tea, persimmon pie and poke salad. Growing up in the woods of NC has some perks
grin.gif
</div></div>

Don't even get me started on ramps. The wife and I rode through Smoky Mountains National Park back in April and I was in real danger of being locked up. Ramps litterally on the side of the road. Patches you could see from the road that looked to hold tens of thousands. Like I say, its all I could do not to stop and fill a bag.

Have eat many a persimmon but trees are harder and harder to find these days. There is nothing sweeter than a persimmon after a good "killin" frost. If you can beat the possums and coons to the dinner table.

Eat my share of poke as well. You can't eat them like they are collards though, best to mix them. Too much of a good thing will give you the hershey squirts.

How bout lambs quarter? Some call it blue weed. One of the best wild greens I have ever eaten, and unlike poke you can eat a belly full without reprisal from your belly
smile.gif


I highly reccomend Peterson's Guide to Wild Edible Plants. It is invaluable.
 
#25
Re: PawPaw Fruit

We had a tree in the house I grew up in as a little kid. They are good, and are a distinct looking tree that are pretty easy to grow. If you are in a permanent place plant a tree. As far as persimmons, in my opinion they can taste delicious off of the right tree. On the other hand off of the wrong tree they can be about the most foul tasting thing to ever enter your mouth. Poke is good too if you get the plant young, to old and it can be poisonous. Something else in your area is mullein. My mom used to make tea out of it, but I have never been a tea drinker myself.
 
#26
Re: PawPaw Fruit

I have finally managed to get a few mullein plants to volunteer on my place. The flowers can be collected and dried and are one of the best pain relievers you will find short of willow bark.
My place looks like it is overgrown with "weeds", most folks just think I am lazy and don't trim my driveway. I live far enough back in the woods that it doesn't bother anyone and my wife and kids are "nuts" like me. So we have a pretty good herb garden that requires no maintenance, besides the occasional culling of "actual" weeds. Even the fleabane is left to propagate, unless I am harvesting for dog rub.
 
#27
Re: PawPaw Fruit

We got a ton of those little wild strawberries here...not too much to brag about on taste either. Kind of sugary and starchy, but no real strawberry taste. They do loook nice and have a purty flower so we spilled a bunch of seeds onto a patch of dirt by the deck to see if they sprout up next season. ALso going after berry vines out by the river to place along the fence..those puppies ar tasty as hell and make a good flap jack syrup too. Hoping to get enough for a pie here in about a week or so
 
#28
Re: PawPaw Fruit

I have 9 Paw Paw trees which have produced 11 edible fruit in the past 5 years. I also have 18 Persimmon trees that produce a shit load of fruit. I personally hate Persimmons, but my neighbors are always looking on the ground for them after they fall. They taste like a metallic fruit to me. Persimmons smell like shit when you run over the ones that have fallen. When mowing, they get stuck in my R4 tires and when I park the tractor they stink up the whole barn.
 
#29
Re: PawPaw Fruit

We have wild strawberries here, tiny, but PACKED with flavor. I like to ride my motorcycle up the side of the mountain and stop in teh clearings and eat them.

Unfortunately, I ate SOOOOOOOOOOO many when I was a kid I developed a light allergy to them, so a handful is my limit!


Think those PawPaw trees would grow in the Northwest?

Dark and Rainy during the winter....heard they like Sandy soil - girlfriends yard is nothing but! (Dirt with sand).
 
#30
Re: PawPaw Fruit

The soil around my house is sandy but they grow well at my parents house as well and that is almost 100% clay once you dig a couple inches of top soil off. I'd try it. The trees I have seen have not grown very tall, maybe a max ~30' with most around 10-15'
 
#31
Re: PawPaw Fruit

Wow that's exactly like my yard.

I may have to see if I can get one to grow, would be way cool!!

I have two South Carolina Nachez White trees I grew from seed and they are doing OK in the pot but we're going to plant them this year in my g/f's yard.
 
#33
Re: PawPaw Fruit

Absolutely! Thank you!!

I want some fruit too though
laugh.gif
LOVE to taste them.

Interesting how few people know about this, read an article where one reporter went on a mysteryquest trying to find some, and did....and loved them..
 
#34
Re: PawPaw Fruit

Pawpaw seedlings are available from Ky Division of Forestry inexpensively. They will ship them to you at the appropriate time for planting. Link below for ordering and information on pawpaws.

http://forestry.ky.gov/statenurseriesandtreeseedlings/Pages/default.aspx

The division of forestry in your state likely has a tree planting program also. In any event they can tell you if pawpaw trees will grow in your zone.

Good shooting
Ron
 
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