Tell me about "pawpaws!"

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Katie H

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We have a fence row that is "covered up" in pawpaws. I know nothing about them so I'm asking all you knowledgeable people here...

- When should they be picked? Before or after a frost?

- Can they be eaten raw/cooked?

- How do we prepare them for any dish?
 
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We have a fence row that is "covered up" in pawpaws. I know nothing about them so I'm asking all you knowledgeable people here...

- When should they be picked? Before or after a frost?

- Can they be eaten raw/cooked?

- How do we prepare them for any dish?

What are pawpaws? :angel:
 
I have a paw paw tree. Haven't gotten any yet, but these trees grow quickly and like weeds. Thats about all I know about paw paws. I ll be watching this thread.
 
I was thinking that you harvested them after the first frost, but no, that's persimmons.

I remember the song, "Way Down Yonder In The Paw Paw Patch."

Otherwise, I got nuthin'. We probably have them around here, just don't recall seeing them.
 
I've always thought papaya's were a tropical fruit. They will grow wild here, but I don't think they will make it through a frost.:(
 
Tell me about "pawpaws!"

I understand your confusion. Papayas are tropical, and have small black seeds, about the size of a black peppercorn. They're commonly served in Mexico. Pawpaws grow, apparently, from Michigan down to Florida. The names are commonly swapped out, but they're different fruits.
 
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I've got lots of Paw Paws on my property.

They aren't bad.

Kind of a custard like texture when ripe.

I wouldn't go out of my way to harvest them for consumption.

Now's the time to pick them if you want them.

They should be firm yet not soft. Sorta like an Avocado.

I usually leave them for the tree rats (Squirrels) and other wild life to eat.

They taste nothing like a papaya.
 
We grow heaps of pawpaws here in Oz. Personally, I can't stand the taste, but it's a very popular fruit grown in the tropics. Interesting fact is that there are actually different male and female trees.

When I lived in the tropics of N. Queensland, a pawpaw tree just started growing in the backyard without any help from me and my roommates. But, that's normal for living in the tropics! :)
 
We grow heaps of pawpaws here in Oz. Personally, I can't stand the taste, but it's a very popular fruit grown in the tropics. Interesting fact is that there are actually different male and female trees.

When I lived in the tropics of N. Queensland, a pawpaw tree just started growing in the backyard without any help from me and my roommates. But, that's normal for living in the tropics! :)

You're referring to a different fruit. The American pawpaw is Asimina triloba while the tropical pawpaw, also known as papaya, is Carica papaya.
 
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