The paw paw is a fickle fruit in this way. They do not ripen off the tree, so don’t think you can go picking a bushel of ripe paw paws that are hard off a tree and let it ripen on your counter. They need to be very soft to be ripe, almost too soft to gather. When paw paws are ripe they fall to the ground. Interestingly, paw paws also require pollen from a genetically different tree, so there must be at least two trees to have a fruiting tree. This is due to weather conditions at the time of flowering being conducive to the abundance of flies and beetles. Through my research I learned that paw paws aren’t pollinated by bees, but rather flies and certain types of beetles. When I was living in East Tennessee there were so many flowers on my trees and I looked forward to a very fruitful year. The flowers hang on the tree while it still stands almost bare of leaves, they really stand out. The flowers are a beautiful mix between deep purple and red. They are also chock full of nutritional value containing Vitamin C, iron, copper, potassium, niacin, riboflavin, calcium, phosphorus, and zinc. I liken the flavor to be in the neighborhood of banana meets mango. Paw paws are sometimes referred to as “Ohio bananas” or the “poor man’s Banana”. Generally, paw paws are located in states with colder winters, growing wild in wooded areas and especially along rivers – most notably the mountain south. The paw paw, as it turns out, is the largest native tree fruit in North America, found in 26 of our states. I’d thought surely paw paws were a tropical fruit from lands far away. The folks that were waiting for me upon arrival to get the woodstove going and greet me told me there was a patch of paw paw along the river behind the house. I made the cross country drive to my new home from Northern California, sight unseen. “Now when you pick a paw paw or a prickly pear and you pick a raw paw, next time beware.” – The Jungle Book, 1967.Īs a late-70’s baby and child of the 80’s, I had only ever heard of a paw paw in the animated film The Jungle Book during the song, “The Bear Necessities.” Flash forward to New Year’s Eve 2013 when I was moving into an old farmhouse along the Nolichucky River in East Tennessee.
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