Author Topic: Anyone here heard of Pawpaws? (Read 2703 times)

jamesrus · « **on:** March 16, 2011, 08:12:48 PM »

Here in northeast Louisiana we have a fruiting plant we call Pawpaws. They look like a stunted Banana but with a smooth skin like a pear. Easily peeled. The meat of the fruit resembles a mix of a kiwi and a banana. THey have a citrusy smell. The trees are usually 15 to 20 feet tall and lightly limbed. They grow on hillsides near creeks in the underbrush of old growth oaks and hardwoods.

PowPow · « **Reply #1 on:** March 17, 2011, 01:39:45 AM »

There is a resturant in Birmingham called the PawPaw Patch, but they don't serve anything that sounds like what you describe.

Are they similar to figs?

Ron 1 · « **Reply #2 on:** March 17, 2011, 01:53:44 AM »

jamesrus
yes i have heard of pawpaw trees in fact we have a lot of them on our 5 acres i have been able to get one transplanted in to a good size pot. the roots on them are really long
the 3 foot tree i transplanted had about 12 foot of roots. they are not to bad either to eat
rw
maybe this would be better in wild edibles

BUGEYE · « **Reply #3 on:** March 17, 2011, 04:24:13 AM »

I ate a bunch of'em as a kid. wish I could find some in the oconee national forest.

srussell · « **Reply #4 on:** March 17, 2011, 05:31:04 AM »

I'm sitting here looking at 40/50 pawpaw trees right now. Ive found that its eather i love them or hate them thing

powderman · « **Reply #5 on:** March 17, 2011, 05:47:49 AM »

We used to eat them as a kid in ILL. Full of seeds if I remember correctly, but mighty tasty. Haven't seen any here in KY but I've heard others talk about them. POWDERMAN.

dukkillr · « **Reply #6 on:** March 17, 2011, 06:29:22 AM »

Got 'em on a piece of ground I own with a few guys for duck hunting. They are right along the river, and apparently prefer to be under the canopy. I've eaten them although they are pretty rich. Last fall I picked a bunch and tried to dry them. It turned out disgusting. They bruise really easy and don't last very long, even in the fridge.

http://skinnymoose.com/dailylimit/2009/09/29/pawpaw/

powderman · « **Reply #7 on:** March 17, 2011, 08:16:48 AM »

Thanks for the pics, brings back a lot of good memories. Wish I had some here. POWDERMAN.

williamlayton · « **Reply #8 on:** March 17, 2011, 03:44:20 PM »

I rememberhe song "Picking up Paw Paw's and putting em in my pocket".
Blessings

dukkillr · « **Reply #9 on:** March 17, 2011, 03:56:43 PM »

Quote from: powderman on March 17, 2011, 08:16:48 AM

Thanks for the pics, brings back a lot of good memories. Wish I had some here. POWDERMAN.

If you find yourself in the central midwest in September let me know. You're welcome to them.

powderman · « **Reply #10 on:** March 17, 2011, 04:24:38 PM »

DUK. Thanks, I appreciate the offer but thats a pretty good hike from here. A friend planted a pawpaw tree on my hillside a year or so ago but it died. Other than that one small tree I haven't seen any here in KY, but I hear they do grow here. POWDERMAN.

possume · « **Reply #11 on:** March 17, 2011, 05:25:13 PM »

i eat them every fall when im out squirell hunting in tn my freinds think im crazy for eating them

tennhillbilly · « **Reply #12 on:** March 17, 2011, 06:39:46 PM »

TheTennessee banana. My property is full of them.

torpedoman · « **Reply #13 on:** March 18, 2011, 06:02:35 PM »

Quote from: srussell on March 17, 2011, 05:31:04 AM

I'm sitting here looking at 40/50 pawpaw trees right now. Ive found that its eather i love them or hate them thing

Put me in the love em category.

Buck-Ridge · « **Reply #14 on:** April 03, 2011, 03:08:42 PM »

I use to find them squirrel hunting and eat them for a snack in the woods. I don't recommend putting them in a pocket. It will be a pocket full of mush if they're ripe.

mechanic · « **Reply #15 on:** April 03, 2011, 03:14:49 PM »

Deer like 'em.

Ben

cabledad · « **Reply #16 on:** April 03, 2011, 03:24:45 PM »

What I 'm wondering about is the tree we had in our yard in Austin 50 years ago,it was called a ju ju tree had fruit on that was like nothing I ever had before or after.It was 2 to 3 inches long and yellow in color.It tasted pretty good.I have never seen another since.Ju Ju or jew jew Probably not even the right name.Anybody got any ideas.Chuck

ga41 · « **Reply #17 on:** April 30, 2011, 04:27:07 PM »

my wife says she remembers them when she lived in La, never tried them though, looks tasty !

sidewinder319 · « **Reply #18 on:** April 30, 2011, 04:33:30 PM »

Many years ago I tried the Paw Paw. We were visiting a farm in Southern Indiana some 30 miles west of Louisville, Ky. The Hoosiers called them Indiana Bananas. I never wanted to try them again.

Rex in OTZ · « **Reply #19 on:** May 06, 2011, 08:30:21 AM »

I was over 40years old before I saw real ones(not seed catalog), I was on business in the NorthEasten tip of West Virginia, right on the Potomic.
was mid September and seen em laying on the ground, all them on the ground were buggy, used a stick to knock down some semi ripe ones, wrapped them in news paper and brought some back to Arctic Coast Alaska for my kids to see, They love the taste!

TSA wasnt as squirrley as they are today $:-\$
Love the creamy taste, kinda diffrent but not bad.

Never had many but bet they'd taste great in a custard pie?

powderman · « **Reply #20 on:** May 06, 2011, 08:49:25 AM »

I'd love to have some seeds to plant. POWDERMAN.

dukkillr · « **Reply #21 on:** May 06, 2011, 09:09:33 AM »

They are complicated to grow. Apparently the seeds must be frozen for a period of time. The young plants also need some shade...

I looked into it a while back, it sounds like they are a pain to grow...

Rex in OTZ · « **Reply #22 on:** May 06, 2011, 09:15:34 AM »

The ones I saw were back down in ravines mixed in with other trees off the edge of a old hay meddow.

Sourdough · « **Reply #23 on:** May 06, 2011, 05:09:51 PM »

I grew up hearing the song, and asked my Dad what they were. He told me they grew wild everywhere up in the country. That is Smith, Jackson, and Macon county Tennessee. He never showed me any, nor have I seen them myself.

loneviking · « **Reply #24 on:** May 06, 2011, 09:23:44 PM »

Well, since we are on the subject of weird Southern plants and food, any of you know what a MayPop is? Hint....grows on a vine, sweetest after the first frost and has a Kiwi like taste....

Lon371 · « **Reply #25 on:** May 07, 2011, 12:18:34 AM »

Quote from: sidewinder319 on April 30, 2011, 04:33:30 PM

Many years ago I tried the Paw Paw. We were visiting a farm in Southern Indiana some 30 miles west of Louisville, Ky. The Hoosiers called them Indiana Bananas. I never wanted to try them again.

We live 30 miles north of Louisville. They are everywhere here. Like was said preciously, They grow in the woods under a good canopy around here. I tried one once, it was not ripe yet

. Powderman if you can figure out when is best time to pick them for getting the seeds, let me know. I will hook you up.

Lonny

Rex in OTZ · « **Reply #26 on:** May 09, 2011, 01:13:48 PM »

As I remember the trees dont get very big, they grow 10-15 feet tall and the trunk is skinny like 3-4 inches, the glossy leaves are about 2inches wide and 5-6" long there kinda easy to spot once you know what your looking for, they dont grow in the deepest darkist part, more in the shaddowey brush boundry area on the edges of timber.
The fruit sets on in Sept, just look up in the canopy they should be easy to spot, one can check the ground too for dropped fruit (in season) My guess coon and deer eat them as soon as they drop.

chefman · « **Reply #27 on:** August 10, 2011, 12:44:14 PM »

Quote from: loneviking on May 06, 2011, 09:23:44 PM

Well, since we are on the subject of weird Southern plants and food, any of you know what a MayPop is? Hint....grows on a vine, sweetest after the first frost and has a Kiwi like taste.... Yeah...also known as passionfruit, hard to find the good ones but very sweet...George

mechanic · « **Reply #28 on:** August 10, 2011, 12:47:00 PM »

Quote from: chefman on August 10, 2011, 12:44:14 PM

Quote from: loneviking on May 06, 2011, 09:23:44 PM
Well, since we are on the subject of weird Southern plants and food, any of you know what a MayPop is? Hint....grows on a vine, sweetest after the first frost and has a Kiwi like taste.... Yeah...also known as passionfruit, hard to find the good ones but very sweet...George

If you every get the chance to hunt over maypops do it. Deer love them.

Ben

jedman · « **Reply #29 on:** September 01, 2011, 06:02:35 AM »

I live in NW Ohio and there are a few growing native in this area. I have a couple planted in a clearing in my woods where I hoped they would do well and produce fruit.
They are now 15 ' + tall and have not produced any fruit yet. I have read you need 2 different cultivars of the Paw Paw to polinate ? If I ever get any of the fruits I would try something like banana bread with them or throw them into one of my homemade wines. Jed