What to do with pawpaws?

We're going pawpaw hunting this week. My neighbor said they make good smoothies. I'm also considering pawpaw pie, pawpaw icecream, and a pawpawcolada with moonshine instead of rum.

Ooh, I'm thinking pawpaws in yoghurt might be tasty!

Green paw paw salad - Vietnamese or Thai style

Green paw paw pickles

The ripe flesh could probably be used in a cake mixture similar to pumpkin, etc.

Here are three Paw Paw recipes I grabbed from over on the H.E.N. Forums before they shut down years ago.

Paw Paw Cookies

3/4 c. pureed pawpaw pulp
1 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 c. butter
3/4 c. brown sugar
1 egg

Preheat the oven to 350o F and grease one large cookie sheet. Peel and seed fresh pawpaws and process in a food processor until fine. Sift together the flour and baking powder, and set aside. Cream the butter and sugar. Add the egg. Add the flour mixture and then add the pawpaw pulp. Chop half the nuts (reserve 16 pieces) and blend them in. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheet and press a piece of black walnut onto the top of each cookie. Bake 12 minutes or until brown across the top. Makes about 16 cookies.

Pawpaw Preserves

12 pawpaws (about 5 lbs)
2 c. water
¾ c. sugar
1 lemon
1 orange

Peel pawpaws. Put in kettle with water, without removing seeds. Boil until soft, then put through a sieve. Add sugar and juice of orange and lemon. Boil until thick. Grated rind of orange or lemon may be added. Put in sterilized jars and seal.

Paw Paw Muffins

1 c. self rising flour
1 c. sugar
1 c. oat bran
1 egg
1 c. mashed paw paws
1/2 c. milk
1/4 c. oil
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. raisins or nuts

Mix flour, sugar, and bran together. Add beaten eggs, paw paws, milk, oil, cinnamon, vanilla, and raisins. Fill greased muffin tins 2/3 full. Bake at 300 degrees for 30-35 minutes.

I had read that George Washington enjoyed it cold and mushed, like a sorbet. I can't wait til my trees are producing to experiment with it. Nice job finding some!

I've been thinking about planting some pawpaws, but we don't have the space for two trees that seem to be dedicated to dessert dishes. Michael Judd writes In his new book, For the Love of Pawpaws that a mature tree will bear 35 pounds of fruit.

For example, we are able to use apples and pears in savory dishes as well as desserts. Does anyone have ideas for pawpaws in savory dishes?

I'd love to find a way to be able to get pawpaws to market. They have a very short shelf life...

Drying them seems an absurd idea... I have no others.

Tis the season.  I went down to my favorite secret patch down on the Susquehanna river the other day, only to find out that it's not a secret anymore.  Could have been my big mouth, but I know of other nice wild patches.

Dave Burton wrote:Ooh, I'm thinking pawpaws in yoghurt might be tasty!

I had banana, paw paw, yogurt and toasted coconut for breakfast yesterday. Yummy!

Victor Skaggs wrote:I'd love to find a way to be able to get pawpaws to market. They have a very short shelf life...

Drying them seems an absurd idea... I have no others.

I don’t know where you live, but if you have access to something like nextdoor.com, you could just announce fresh paws paws available for purchase/pick up at a certain time and location. My pawpaws aren’t producing yet, but that’s my plan , I’m in an area that is densely populated enough though.

Pawpaw Cheesecake

https://nature.mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/recipes/fruit-and-nut/pawpaw-cheesecake

Joylynn Hardesty wrote:I've been thinking about planting some pawpaws, but we don't have the space for two trees that seem to be dedicated to dessert dishes. Michael Judd writes In his new book, For the Love of Pawpaws that a mature tree will bear 35 pounds of fruit.

For example, we are able to use apples and pears in savory dishes as well as desserts. Does anyone have ideas for pawpaws in savory dishes?

BBQ Sauce, Salsa, fish baked in the leaves... It's the love child of Banana, Mango, and Pineapple, so use South Pacific and SE Asian recipes. I bet it would be good as Filipino BBQ Marinade. Use Pawpaw juice in place of Calamansi.

I just like to eat them with a spoon.  When I get too many, I think freezing the pulp is a good idea.
John S
PDX OR

Victor Skaggs wrote:I'd love to find a way to be able to get pawpaws to market. They have a very short shelf life...

Drying them seems an absurd idea... I have no others.

Dehydrated mangos are a beautiful thing and they have very moist and soft flesh.  I wonder if one could make pawpaw pulp fruit leather?

Dreaming of the day when my teeny baby pawpaws will start producing fruit I've started collecting recipes - including several that are definitely not 'dessert':

https://veryveganval.com/2019/10/12/sweet-or-savory-vegan-pawpaw-cornbread/

https://www.paeats.com/recipe/paw-paw-stuffing/

https://lightorangebean.com/simple-pawpaw-salsa/

Vernon, it seems that pawpaw fruit leather is possible! Here's a link to a company that is selling it, $20 for 10 strips (I am not sure the size of the strips). It sounds like a great value-added product for someone with a bumper crop of pawpaws, or for your own home use.

https://owennativefoods.com/products/pawpaw-fruit-leather/

Victor Skaggs wrote:I'd love to find a way to be able to get pawpaws to market. They have a very short shelf life...

Drying them seems an absurd idea... I have no others.

I think fruit leathers would be really good. You could then make a variety pack with paw paw as the main ingredient and add pineapple, coconut,  lime and so on. I wish I could find some!

I think you'd do great if along with making something real nice for yourself, send me some seeds.