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Paw Paws

Discussion

6 replies
Posted by Bill Dark on August 25, 2008 at 3:12 PM
Does anyone know if you can pick paw paws while they are still green, and let them ripen like a tomato?
Posted by Randy Wilson on August 25, 2008 at 4:41 PM
I just know that when you pick up paw paws you gotta put 'em in your pocket.
Posted by Don Kurz on August 25, 2008 at 5:28 PM

Randy: ...and save them for a rainey day. :biggrin:

Bill: check out this reference. Apparently they don't ripen if picked when green. :frown:

http://www.pawpaw.kysu.edu/PDF/archbold03.pdf

Best,
Don
Posted by TIMERNST on August 25, 2008 at 6:59 PM
Half the fun of going after pawpaws is the incredible sweetness that fills the air - nothing else like it in the mainland for sure. Looks like a very small crop of them this year though, which is strange since other fruits will be bumper crops (like persimmons)...I hike/climb right through the middle of a pawpaw grove each morning as I hike down to the river, and as soon as that delightful arouma begins to fill the air I'll make a detour to the grove up on top that has larger trees and fruit - makes a wonderful breakfast, or a dessert at anytime...
Posted by Bill Dark on August 25, 2008 at 7:57 PM
Thanks for the link, Don. My problem has always been getting to them before all the other critters, like Tim, get to them first! I was hoping that I could pick a few and bring 'em home to ripen... :frown:
Posted by Tim Behle on August 26, 2008 at 7:19 AM
I used to pick them before they were ripe, and put them in a basket in the hay loft of the barn to ripen. Maybe it was the high heat in the barn, but it worked for us kids.
Posted by TIMERNST on September 26, 2008 at 8:57 PM
The pawpaws on Cave Mountain are ripe and falling off of the trees - mighty tasty! For the best experience you must stand under a pawpaw tree and catch one before it hits the ground - for some reason they taste a lot better when you do!

By the way, for those of you who read the Journal, I figured out what the bear that attacked us yesterday was up to - he was guarding his own personal pawpaw patch! I can't blame him...