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Ted's Notes on Pawpaws (2016)

by pubby on 8/15/23, 11:26 PM with 57 comments

• by barathr on 8/16/23, 12:08 AM

  They are easy to grow across a wide range of continental, temperate climates.

  They do have a downside though: unless you get a low-acetogenin variety, eating them more than once in a while has health impacts, possibly a Parkinson's-like syndrome.

  Here are some of the cultivars that are known to have low levels of acetogenins: Sunflower, Wabash, Potomac, Zimmerman, Wells.

  Here's a study: https://www.doc-developpement-durable.org/file/Culture/Arbre...

  Also, folks in California should grow Cherimoyas and/or Atemoyas instead. They grow better in our climate and are generally better and safer.

• by pard68 on 8/16/23, 1:20 AM

  I love pawpaws. Had never heard of them until I move to the southern US. Now I can't wait for fall. We freeze them and eat them like a custard.

  Another favorite fruit I'd never heard of but is native to the southern US is passion fruit. My kids sit in the field eating them all afternoon most days in September.

• by snowwrestler on 8/16/23, 3:37 AM

  I’ve had pretty easy access to wild pawpaws and tried them a bunch over the past couple decades. I’d say they are not for everyone. I find the initial flavor ok, quite mild, with a weird dry/bitter aftertaste that I don’t enjoy. I don’t bother picking them anymore.

  Definitely worth seeking out and trying if you are curious. But I think their reputation for tastiness has been enhanced by the difficulty of getting them. Only folks who truly love them put in the work (like this guy) to evangelize them. And in general, rarity tends to make things seem more interesting.

• by raybb on 8/16/23, 2:46 AM

  There is a 2017 book about them:

  Pawpaw: In Search of America’s Forgotten Fruit by Andrew Moore

  https://openlibrary.org/works/OL20012930W/Pawpaw

  I have not read it yet but almost bought it when I first learned about them.

• by bhb916 on 8/16/23, 2:58 AM

  This isn't textbook Baader–Meinhof, but after 4 decades of never consciously hearing about this fruit I've now encountered it three times in one week: [1] on the allowed low fodmap diet, [2] in the lyrics of a jungle book song, and [3] this article. My family is now on a mission to find one and taste test.

• by tomwheeler on 8/16/23, 6:52 PM

  If anyone wants to try one and will be in the St. Louis area in late September, let me know (e-mail is my profile). There are at least 100 pawpaw trees in the woods behind my house and there's at least a dozen pieces of fruit ready to be picked that time of year.

• by ericb on 8/16/23, 12:27 PM

  Is it me, or does that picture look like poison ivy halfway down the page where he says:

  "and possibly two smaller ones (unconfirmed, since they didn't look like they could spare any leaf) peeking out from under a pile of downed trees. Why still so small? My theory is that the top growth was crushed in the general wreckage and the rootstocks had to start over with fresh shoots."

• by n2dasun on 8/17/23, 11:02 AM

  This is great to come across. I had an employee bring me some years ago and I instantly became obsessed. I have two cultivars planted in my yard and got my neighbor to allow me to plant another in their yard. I think I'm 2 or 3 years out from getting fruit, but I'm still excited

• by NotYourLawyer on 8/16/23, 2:07 AM

  I love sites like this. Really takes me back to the days of the old internet.

• by pkdpic on 8/16/23, 4:36 AM

  Dang, Free Software Foundation member #33. Those are some legit pawpaws.

• by supertofu on 8/16/23, 10:58 AM

  I had no idea this fruit was Native to the US! I can't stop smiling at the idyll of the enchanted creek side pawpaw grove.

• by liampulles on 8/16/23, 8:07 AM

  Quite common here in South Africa, can get them from regular supermarkets.

• by ggm on 8/15/23, 11:31 PM

  "Istanbul not Constantinople" pawpaw/papaya. Alas.. as the article says not entirely: not all pawpaw are papaya.

  Ripe Papaya improve with a squeeze of lime. Green papaya are fantastic grated in south-east Asian salads.