4 ms·

In ohio we have pawpaw festivals! Even most of the people where they grow have never heard of them, because they don’t transport well enough to be sold, but tho

In ohio we have pawpaw festivals! Even most of the people where they grow have never heard of them, because they don’t transport well enough to be sold, but those who have can’t wait for the season. I didn’t know they could grow in full shade though.

mooreds 5y ago
Hmmm. Wonder if they'll grow in Colorado. I see they are hardy to zone 5.
- Tagbert 5y ago
  We grew them in Kansas, so same latitude. While they grow in the understory, I suspect they would not like to grow under conifers.
  - pvaldes 5y ago
    Under conifer is dry shadow that is probably the most complicated place to grow anything. Callicarpa americana can stand semi-shadow and the tiny berries are edible in jelly. Asimina hates being too dry.
  - deleted 5y ago
    [deleted]
- Vrondi 5y ago
  They like to be under the edge of decidious forest in a wet climate, near a stream bank if possible. That's their optimal wild growing position.
foobiekr 5y ago
Pawpaws are in the family containing https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annonacin https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annonacin though, so not exactly something one should consume in bulk.
- contingencies 5y ago
  Annonacin is found in the seeds but the fhe fruit is fine, IIRC. Also IIRC, regular consumption of paw paw with lime is linked to excellent improvements in liver function for extremely late-stage Hepatitis patients. Consider also Annonacin promotes selective cancer cell death via NKA-dependent and SERCA-dependent pathways: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6037677/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6037677/
  - foobiekr 5y ago
    That's not quite right. Annonacin is found in the pulp: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0161813X11001975 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S01618...
- Vrondi 5y ago
  Pawpaws are a North American Papaya, and are totally safe to eat. Just don't eat the incredibly hard huge seed (just the same as apples, duh), and you will avoid all possibility of harm.
dpeck 5y ago
There seems to be a growing interest in pawpaws. Stories about them were featured on a lot of food podcasts this fall and seems like it’s the “it” uncommon food at the moment, or staged to be. It will be interesting if anyone is able to bring them to market at scale, it seems like agriculture departments at several universities have programs to work on different varietals with better shelf-life and shipping characteristics.
- gkop 5y ago
  Huh, but you already need to stop in West Virginia to pick up your moonshine, so grab some pawpaws too while you’re there.
ghastmaster 5y ago
> I didn’t know they could grow in full shade though. A hike through the woods in southeastern Ohio will make this fact obvious. I miss the area and love coming across a stand of pawpaw in the understory. The leaves are so big. It feels like walking in the jungle. I miss the pawpaw festival in Albany, OH.
- mattmaroon 5y ago
  I hike down by hocking hills a decent amount and never saw one but I’ll be on the lookout now!
dexwiz 5y ago
In Indiana they seem to be making a comeback. I have seen them on specialty menus a few times, but I find them to be awful. I am not a picky eater, and have sampled some other things in this list like ramps, but I don't think I will eat a paw paw again. Maybe I haven't had them prepared properly, but they seem like a Depression food. My grandpa talks about eating them when he was little, and I have only seen them resurrected in niche settings.
- Baeocystin 5y ago
  I think you might have had some bad ones. It's quite possible- they bruise and start to go off if you so much as look at them funny. Ideally, they have a mild, sweet flavor, and the name 'custard apple' is quite appropriate. They aren't durian- there shouldn't be any strong flavors or smells present that might be off-putting.
- pvaldes 5y ago
  Probably out of his short ripe time.
- Vrondi 5y ago
  They most often taste like some combo of berry/banana/papaya when ripe. Different trees give slightly different flavor profiles. They must be eaten when the skin is starting to turn black, as that is when they are ripe. Eating them green would be quite unpleasant, and they don't stay at the right stage for long, which is why you don't just see them in supermarkets. Source: grew up eating wild pawpaws.

mooreds 5y ago

Hmmm. Wonder if they'll grow in Colorado. I see they are hardy to zone 5.

Tagbert 5y ago
We grew them in Kansas, so same latitude. While they grow in the understory, I suspect they would not like to grow under conifers.
- pvaldes 5y ago
  Under conifer is dry shadow that is probably the most complicated place to grow anything. Callicarpa americana can stand semi-shadow and the tiny berries are edible in jelly. Asimina hates being too dry.
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
Vrondi 5y ago
They like to be under the edge of decidious forest in a wet climate, near a stream bank if possible. That's their optimal wild growing position.

foobiekr 5y ago

Pawpaws are in the family containing https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annonacin https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annonacin though, so not exactly something one should consume in bulk.

contingencies 5y ago
Annonacin is found in the seeds but the fhe fruit is fine, IIRC. Also IIRC, regular consumption of paw paw with lime is linked to excellent improvements in liver function for extremely late-stage Hepatitis patients. Consider also Annonacin promotes selective cancer cell death via NKA-dependent and SERCA-dependent pathways: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6037677/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6037677/
- foobiekr 5y ago
  That's not quite right. Annonacin is found in the pulp: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0161813X11001975 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S01618...
Vrondi 5y ago
Pawpaws are a North American Papaya, and are totally safe to eat. Just don't eat the incredibly hard huge seed (just the same as apples, duh), and you will avoid all possibility of harm.

dpeck 5y ago

There seems to be a growing interest in pawpaws. Stories about them were featured on a lot of food podcasts this fall and seems like it’s the “it” uncommon food at the moment, or staged to be. It will be interesting if anyone is able to bring them to market at scale, it seems like agriculture departments at several universities have programs to work on different varietals with better shelf-life and shipping characteristics.

gkop 5y ago
Huh, but you already need to stop in West Virginia to pick up your moonshine, so grab some pawpaws too while you’re there.

ghastmaster 5y ago

> I didn’t know they could grow in full shade though. A hike through the woods in southeastern Ohio will make this fact obvious. I miss the area and love coming across a stand of pawpaw in the understory. The leaves are so big. It feels like walking in the jungle. I miss the pawpaw festival in Albany, OH.

mattmaroon 5y ago
I hike down by hocking hills a decent amount and never saw one but I’ll be on the lookout now!

dexwiz 5y ago

In Indiana they seem to be making a comeback. I have seen them on specialty menus a few times, but I find them to be awful. I am not a picky eater, and have sampled some other things in this list like ramps, but I don't think I will eat a paw paw again. Maybe I haven't had them prepared properly, but they seem like a Depression food. My grandpa talks about eating them when he was little, and I have only seen them resurrected in niche settings.

Baeocystin 5y ago
I think you might have had some bad ones. It's quite possible- they bruise and start to go off if you so much as look at them funny. Ideally, they have a mild, sweet flavor, and the name 'custard apple' is quite appropriate. They aren't durian- there shouldn't be any strong flavors or smells present that might be off-putting.
pvaldes 5y ago
Probably out of his short ripe time.
Vrondi 5y ago
They most often taste like some combo of berry/banana/papaya when ripe. Different trees give slightly different flavor profiles. They must be eaten when the skin is starting to turn black, as that is when they are ripe. Eating them green would be quite unpleasant, and they don't stay at the right stage for long, which is why you don't just see them in supermarkets. Source: grew up eating wild pawpaws.