{"id":2744,"date":"2024-08-30T19:24:45","date_gmt":"2024-08-30T19:24:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/?p=2744"},"modified":"2024-08-30T19:24:45","modified_gmt":"2024-08-30T19:24:45","slug":"pawpaw-fruit-heres-how-and-why-to-forage-for-pawpaw-this-fall","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/?p=2744","title":{"rendered":"Pawpaw Fruit: Here\u2019s How (and Why) to Forage for Pawpaw This Fall"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Right now, there\u2019s a native, tropical-tasting fruit ripening in forests throughout the United States. The Asimina triloba<\/em>, commonly known as pawpaw, is found from New York to Florida and as far west as Texas. If you fall within its native range, it\u2019s worth the hike to find this rare delicacy that tastes like a combination of mango, pineapple, and banana.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s everything you need to know to find ripe pawpaw fruit.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Identification\u00a0<\/h2>\n
Pawpaw trees are relatively easy to identify. <\/p>\n

Photo by Scott Einsmann<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Pawpaw trees have long, oval-shaped leaves and can vary from short shrubs to 25-feet tall. The bark is light gray with a smooth texture that I\u2019d compare to a beech tree. The fruit\u2019s skin is green to yellow. Pawpaw fruit is oblong and varies in size, but most are around 4 inches. The interior of the fruit is soft, pale yellow, very fragrant, and will have several seeds.<\/p>\n

Where to Find Pawpaws<\/h2>\n
\"pawpaw
The pawpaw tree range. <\/p>\n

USGS<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I usually find pawpaw trees in creek and river bottoms, where they grow in the understory of taller hardwood trees. They thrive in areas with ready access to water but won\u2019t tolerate prolonged flooding. Also, don\u2019t overlook the hillsides surrounding river bottoms.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Believe it or not, you can often sniff out pawpaw trees during this time of year. On a recent foraging trip, I found a stand of pawpaw trees by the sudden smell of overripe and fermented fruit. A quick scan revealed rotting pawpaw fruit on the ground and loads of ripening fruit in the trees.\u00a0<\/p>\n

How to Pick Pawpaw Fruit<\/h2>\n

Pawpaws ripen from August to October, depending on your location. It\u2019s really important to eat ripe fruit because they\u2019re a lot like astringent persimmons \u2014 you won\u2019t like the flavor of one that\u2019s not ripe. But you can pick underripe pawpaws and let them ripen on your kitchen counter. This should only take a few days.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0It\u2019s rare to find a perfectly ripe fruit hanging on a limb. So if you\u2019re looking for pawpaw fruit to eat right away, look on the forest floor for recently-fallen fruit. Ripe pawpaws will feel like a ripe avocado. They\u2019ll have a little give but won\u2019t be completely mushy. Overripe ones turn black.\u00a0<\/p>\n

How to Eat Pawpaw Fruit<\/h2>\n

I typically eat pawpaws as a trail snack right after finding them. You can crack a ripe fruit in half, squeeze the custardy interior into your mouth, and spit out the seeds as you eat. Pawpaws have a limited shelf life, so it\u2019s best to eat them quickly or turn them into bread<\/a>, jam<\/a>, and ice cream<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Plant a Pawpaw Tree<\/h2>\n

It\u2019s fun to forage fruit, but the selective breeding done to pawpaws has drastically improved their size and flavor. If you love the way pawpaws taste, you can plant two named varieties in your backyard, and you\u2019ll have fruit in a few years.\u00a0Here are some of the top varieties to add to your yard.<\/p>\n