It’s pawpaw season – recipes and ideas?

[rworange]

I’ve never had a pawpaw and a local farm is selling them. What do you think of pawpaws and how do you use them?

Gleaned from the web:

WHAT IT IS

Wiki with pictures, nutritional info (better than bananas) and recipe for pawpaw lassi.
http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Cookbook:Pawpaw

“The pawpaw is related to the cherimoya and soursop, not the papaya. Pawpaws taste and feel somewhat like bananas, and can generally be used in recipes calling for bananas”

Another wiki with lots more info
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pawpaw

Nice pictures from the local SF vendor
http://www.lagierranches.com/pawpaw.html

There are 28 varieties. Here's info about six of them
http://www.petersonpawpaws.com/Products.php

AFFINITIES: Mint, citrus, pineapple, coconut, nuts, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, vanilla, milk, cream

USES.

- eat fresh: Cut them in half and scoop the flesh out, eat, spitting out large seeds or Open one end and squeeze flesh into your mouth

- Use in recipes with little or no heat since the volatile flavor compounds are destroyed by heating … the pawpaw is best suited to recipes that require little or no heat … ice cream, sorbet, smoothies, chiffon pies, mousse, etc

- That being said, supposedly they taste similar to bananas and can be used in banana bread recipes. It is sometimes called a Hoosier or prarie banana because of the taste.

- green pawpaws can be eaten as a vegetable. They make a good substitute for squash in a curry and are delicious in a salad.

SELECTING
- Size varies depending on variety and are between 5 ounces and 1 pound
- Look for a plump, round shape, similar to a mango
- Fragrant floral aroma
- Yield easily to the touch like a ripe avocado
- Skin turns lighter green, then yellow and develops brown blotches like a banana
- Flesh should be yellow and soft like custard.

STORING
Pawpaws are very perishable and ripe will only keep 2 days at room temperature. They keep a week in the fridge. Storing pawpaws at less than 40F is not recommended since it often changes the flavor, producing caramel-like notes.

PRESERVING

Freeze, don’t can when your pawpaw gets a little too ripe
http://missourifamilies.org/quick/foodsafetyqa/qafs355.htm

Freeze measured dollops of pureed pulp on waxed paper, then wrap each individually.

FESTIVAL AND SONG

Ohio PawPaw Festival
http://www.pawpawfest.com/

"Way Down Yonder in the Paw Paw Patch."
http://www.scoutsongs.com/lyrics/pawpawpatch.html

RECIPES

Lots of recipes including pies, custards, cookies, cakes, quick breads, ice cream, pudding, preserves, jello, shake, Zabaglione, pineapple-pawpaw sherbet, punch,
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/ksu-pawpaw/cooking.html

Pawpaw wine
http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/pawpaw.asp

Spicy Autumn Pawpaw Cake with a Pawpaw Cream Cheese Frosting
http://www.ohiosaf.org/article.htm

Green Paw Paw Curry & Prawns Bombay
http://www.abc.net.au/midnorthcoast/stories/s1215805.htm

Pawpaw chiffon pie
http://mdc.mo.gov/conmag/2002/08/10.htm

PAWPAW ICE CREAM, PAWPAW CREAM CAKE, PAWPAW MUFFINS
http://www.post-gazette.com/food/2003...

[DetectDave]

I haven't tasted one since I was a much younger man. We have some in our farm bottoms and Grandmaw rounded up a few. It tased like a custardy banana to me. Quite rich and sweet. I know they didn't last long as everybody wanted a bite. They are pretty hard to harvest as the woods animals are on them very quickly and thgey spoil quite quickly as well. fFct is I haven't seen a ripe on on our trees in years. You are lucky to find a local source.

[rworange]

I finally tried a paw paw. My take is that it has the taste of a very ripe banana with the texture of a mango. I'm not sure if I like it or not. The variety I tried needed to feel soft, almost like pudding. The outer skin had mainly turned black. The local vendor picked out the paw paws that were ripe and ready to eat. I may have hit the last week of the local paw paw crop, but if there are any next week I'll buy a few more to get a better idea.

[gaetano]

I love pawpaws, rare here in Philly. Great job on this page hope it's okay to put a link on my blog 'Philly Market Cafe'