How to Find, Select and Eat Pawpaw Fruit

Pawpaw is the largest fruit native to North America, and one of the least well-known. Smooth, custardy and often compared to a banana, it's also delicious! Here's everything you need to know to enjoy some pawpaw this season.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Pawpaw fruit
• Knife

1. 
    
   Distribution of Pawpaw

   Range
   Due to the short shelf life, pawpaw is almost never commercially available. To try it, you pretty much need to live where it grows. Fortunately, this is most of the eastern U.S., across 25 states.

2. When and Where
   Pawpaw is ripe from mid-August in the southernmost parts of its range to mid-October in the north. It can be found on deep, rich soils in deciduous forests along floodplains, streams and ravines. It often occurs in the same areas as blackgum, Ohio buckeye, honey locust, and coffee tree. The leaves are about a foot long and oval.

3. How
   Pawpaw is ripe when it's soft, light green- or yellow-skinned, and giving off a distinctive smell. The fruit is very nutritious, and most of the time is eaten fresh, either by halving it and using a spoon or, (more of a mess), peeling it like a banana. There are also excellent recipes for pawpaw ice cream, bread, pudding, etc. Enjoy!