These are not hand pollinated. Asimina triloba, the papaw, pawpaw, paw paw, or paw-paw, among many regional names, is a small deciduous tree native to the eastern United States and Canada, producing a large, yellowish-green to brown fruit. It belongs to the genus Asimina in the same plant family (the Annonaceae) as the custard-apple,cherimoya, sweetsop, ylang-ylang and soursop.
This is Dr. Michael Greger's favourite fruit.
Cross-pollination of at least two different genetic varieties of the plant is recommended,[6] and growers often resort to hand pollination.
Other names: Hoosier banana, Indian banana, custard apple, Quaker delight.
A grafted tree may bear fruit in two years.
Ripe pawpaws only last for two or three days at room temperature. They do well in the refrigerator for about a week if fully ripe, three weeks if a little underripe. (Firm pawpaws don't ripen well off the tree.) Tree-ripened pawpaws are best; soft, overripe ones tend to have off notes.
Unlike, say, mangoes, the custardy flesh inside a pawpaw is entirely too soft to be diced. Once you separate it from the seeds and skin, it's already a handy purée, almost like the pulp of a ripe hachiya persimmon. To extract it, halve the pawpaws with a knife and squish them with your bare hands through a colander set over a large bowl (an even better alternative is a conical strainer with a wooden pestle.) The pulp freezes well in a Ziploc bag for up to six months (see our guide to efficiently freezing and defrosting foods here). It oxidizes quickly, so when storing pawpaw pulp in the refrigerator, stir in a little lemon juice and keep the air out by pressing plastic wrap directly on the surface. The pulp is best used within a day.
This is Dr. Michael Greger's favourite fruit.
Cross-pollination of at least two different genetic varieties of the plant is recommended,[6] and growers often resort to hand pollination.
Other names: Hoosier banana, Indian banana, custard apple, Quaker delight.
A grafted tree may bear fruit in two years.
Ripe pawpaws only last for two or three days at room temperature. They do well in the refrigerator for about a week if fully ripe, three weeks if a little underripe. (Firm pawpaws don't ripen well off the tree.) Tree-ripened pawpaws are best; soft, overripe ones tend to have off notes.
Unlike, say, mangoes, the custardy flesh inside a pawpaw is entirely too soft to be diced. Once you separate it from the seeds and skin, it's already a handy purée, almost like the pulp of a ripe hachiya persimmon. To extract it, halve the pawpaws with a knife and squish them with your bare hands through a colander set over a large bowl (an even better alternative is a conical strainer with a wooden pestle.) The pulp freezes well in a Ziploc bag for up to six months (see our guide to efficiently freezing and defrosting foods here). It oxidizes quickly, so when storing pawpaw pulp in the refrigerator, stir in a little lemon juice and keep the air out by pressing plastic wrap directly on the surface. The pulp is best used within a day.
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