Tropical Taste with Local Roots

Today is National Pawpaw Day. The Pawpaw is a native fruit-bearing tree that might be in a forest near you. The fruit is the Pawpaw fruit, but you may have heard it called a “Kentucky Banana” or “Hillbilly Mango”. Despite being America’s Forgotten Fruit, it is a local food that many foodies are on the hunt for this time of year.

The pawpaw (Asimina triloba) tree is a member of the mainly-tropical plant family, Annonaceae, and produces the largest edible fruit native to North America. This tree is native to 26 states and is predominantly in the Eastern United States. The tree grows primarily in forested areas and has been important and beloved for much of America’s history. The fruit was a major component of Native American and European settlers’ diets. The fruit also played an important role in the culture and local economy of Appalachia and surrounding regions for many years. However, interest waned after World War II when other imported fruits became more readily available. Despite the decrease in popularity, pawpaws are still a local favorite for many and are worth a try every September in Ohio. In fact, the Ohio Papaw Festival is held every year in Albany, OH. Let’s explore how to select, prepare, and store these fruits:

Selection:

Pawpaw fruits look like an elongated mango and will be 3 to 6 inches long when they mature – usually in September. When ripe, the skin of the fruit will be a light yellow-green color with black blotches much like a banana. When picking some fruit, you want to choose one that gives a little to the touch. The fruit will continue to ripen after picking, especially at room temperature. Fully ripe pawpaws will only last a few days at room temperature. Due to the short shelf-life, pawpaw fruit is rarely found in grocery stores, but you may find them at your local farmers’ markets.

Preparation & Storage:

Pawpaw fruits are very nutritious, rich in Vitamins C, B-6, riboflavin, niacin, folate, and thiamine, and contain minerals such as iron, potassium, magnesium, and phosphorus. Most enthusiasts agree that the best way to enjoy Pawpaws is to eat them raw when they are perfectly ripe. To eat raw, simply rinse the pawpaw in a cool stream of water, cut it in half lengthwise, and remove the seeds with a spoon or melon baller. Consume the custard like pulp only. The fruit skin and seeds should not be consumed as they can contain toxins. The fruit has a creamy texture with the flavor described as a combination of banana, mango, and pineapple. Fully ripe pawpaws can be kept for a week in the refrigerator. The pulp can be frozen and kept for up to 12 months and be used in the kitchen as you would bananas, pumpkins, and applesauce in almost any recipe.

Now that you know more about the Pawpaw, go and give it a try. Kentucky State University Extension has some great recipes to try. If you are interested in more about this plant and how to grow them in Ohio, check out this Ohioline fact sheet: Pawpaws: An Alternative Fruit Crop in the Midwest.

Written by: Aaron Fowler, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University, Greene County, fowler.440@osu.edu.