![]() ![]() According to the KSU Pawpaw Research Project, the pawpaw fruit has three times as much vitamin C as an apple and twice as much potassium as an orange. They are high in vitamins, minerals, and amino acids. Once frozen, transfer to a freezer bag labeled with the contents and packing date. For chopping fruit, arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet and place in freezer for one to two hours depending on the size of the cuts. They can be frozen whole, chopped, or pureed. Freezing is the best preservation method for nutritional content retention. The pawpaw fruit can be stored at room temperature or in a refrigerator, but refrigeration will extend the fruit’s shelf life. An underripe pawpaw fruit will feel more like an apple but a ripened fruit will have a soft touch like a ripened peach or banana. Selecting ripe fruits can be done by gently squeezing the outside. The best way to enjoy pawpaw fruit is to consume it raw. The spreading form of the tree and its tropical looking foliage can make it suitable for use as a green screen during the summer, and the vibrant yellow autumn foliage can add visual interest. Care should be taken to avoid the large seeds. Fruit can be dried or frozen and mixed into ice cream and other recipes and is also excellent eaten fresh off the tree or chilled. This has limited commercial production and sale. The fruit does not ship or store well, ripening quickly when off of the tree and bruising easily. The ripe fruit has a custard-like texture–not unlike a soft banana–and has been compared in flavor to banana, strawberry, mango, or cantaloupe, depending on the source tree or cultivar. The large fruit of common pawpaw has been consumed by humans for thousands of years, and Native Americans spread the tree widely for both the fruit and fibers that can be obtained from its bark. ![]() When ripe in mid-to late-summer, the fruit is greenish or yellowish in color with mottled brown areas. The fruit is the largest of any native North American plant, reaching 3 to 5 inches long. Flowers have a somewhat unpleasant odor that attracts the flies and carrion beetles necessary for successful pollination. The flowers, which develop before or with the leaves, are 1 to 2 inches across and reddish purple to maroon in color. The growth form is relatively open, and the bark stays tight and thin, even on older trees. When crushed, the leaves have a strong odor reminiscent of bell pepper. It has large leaves (approximately 10 inches in length and approximately 4 inches wide) that are fuzzy when young but become smooth with age. ![]() In the wild, it tends to grow in wet soils near streams or other bodies of water and can tolerate considerable shade. Depending on conditions, it can range from 3 feet in height to as tall as 30 feet and can form spreading thickets from root sprouts. Common Pawpaw General DescriptionĬommon pawpaw ( Asimina triloba) is a large shrub or small tree found across most of Alabama, with greater populations found in the northern half of the state. Two of the species found in the state, common pawpaw (Asimina triloba) and small flower pawpaw (Asimina parvifolia), have notable fruiting potential. Most members of the family are tropical, but there are a handful of native species that live in Alabama and beyond. Pawpaw is an intriguing native fruit in the custard apple family. ![]()
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