Pickin' up Pawpaws
It’s that time of year, the Pawpaws are ripening. Once
enjoyed by Presidents Washington and Jefferson, and savior of starving Lewis
and Clark, the Pawpaw became neglected as a fall treat. Its short shelf life and delicate flesh
rendered it unsuitable for large scale industrial distribution. But it is
making a comeback as local foods are becoming popularized, and chefs search for
unique eats. They have even been spotted
at Charlottesville’s City Market
.
While the fruit is not well known, those of a certain age
may remember a folk song from elementary school:
“Where, oh where is dear little Nellie? Way down yonder in the pawpaw patch. Pickin'
up pawpaws, put 'em in your pocket , way down yonder in the pawpaw patch”.
And in Walt Disney’s The
Jungle Book , Baloo sings Bare
Necessities in which he gives advice to Mowgli on how to pick pawpaws and prickly
pears:
“Don't pick the prickly pear by the paw, when
you pick a pear, try to use the claw, but you don't need to use the claw, when
you pick a pear of the big pawpaw.”
The pawpaw (asimina triloba) is the largest edible tree
fruit native to the United States. It is the only temperate tropical escape of
the Caribbean Custard Apple family. With its large drooping obovate leaves, it
can make an attractive tropical appearing ornamental.
Pawpaw leaves
However its odd looking
small flowers smell faintly of carrion in order to attract flies and beetles
for pollination.
Pawpaw tree flower
One of its few pests is Virginia’s State Butterfly, the Zebra
Swallowtail, whose larvae feed exclusively on young pawpaw leaves. It has a
native range from Florida to Michigan.
The fruit has the size and appearance of a green russet
potato, and gets a yellow cast when ripe.
The custard like flesh is orange, and contains numerous lima bean shaped
black seeds. The taste and smell is complex, a combination of banana, mango,
and pineapple. It remains edible for less than three days, perhaps a week when
refrigerated. Beware; the aroma can become cloying quickly, the flesh taking on
the consistency of a rotten banana.
Small pawpaw with seeds
Because of the taste and texture, pawpaws make a good
substitute for bananas in pies, cookies, custards, cakes and breads. Or just eat around the seeds with a spoon
They are high in vitamin C, magnesium, iron, copper, and
manganese and potassium. They also contain riboflavin, niacin, calcium,
phosphorus, and zinc.
You can find pawpaws along most rivers and creeks in this
area. There it is frequently found in clonal groves in the well-drained soil. It
is usually a small understory tree, but can reach 25 feet tall.
Pawpaw tree with seedlings in foreground showing early fall coloration
The
Saunders-Monticello trail has numerous well developed groves. There are several
along the Rivanna Trail between Riverview Park and Free Bridge, especially
where the trail narrows at the foot of the Riverview Cemetery. And a small
grove is being cultivated in Schenk’s Greenway along McIntire road near the
recycling center.
If you want your own, they can be started from seed. Place
them in a plastic bag in moist peat moss and cold stratify them by leaving them
outside in a protected place. They must not dry out. In the spring put them in well-drained soil,
and then be patient. They may not sprout
till late July. They do not transplant from
the wild well because by the time the plant is recognizable, the roots have
penetrated several feet into the soil.
Or you can just buy a tree from Edible Landscaping in Nelson County.
The fruits can be hard to spot under the drooping leaves.
Pawpaw cluster
Generally the ones that fall are quickly consumed by raccoons and opossums. But
a brisk shake of a tree can loosen the ripe ones. Be careful, they can weigh up
to a pound. And hurry, most are gone by the end of September around here. Go join dear little Nellie and pick em up yonder
in the pawpaw patch.
Where, oh where is dear little Nellie?
Where, oh where is dear little Nellie?
Where, oh where is dear little Nellie?
Way down yonder in the pawpaw patch.
Pickin' up pawpaws, puttin' 'em in your pocket,
Pickin' up pawpaws, puttin' 'em in your pocket,
Pickin' up pawpaws, puttin' 'em in your pocket,
Way down yonder in the pawpaw patch.
--American Folk Song
"The Bare Necessities" written by Terry Gilkyson,
from the animated 1967 Disney film The Jungle Book:
Now when you pick a
pawpaw
Or a prickly pear
And you prick a raw paw
Next time beware
Don't pick the prickly pear by the paw
When you pick a pear
Try to use the claw
But you don't need to use the claw
When you pick a pear of the big pawpaw
Have I given you a clue?
Wick Hunt
