Pawpaws grow wild in the woods all over the eastern United States. I decided that I had to eat them. Grow them. Share them. There was just one problem: I'd forgotten what they taste like.
Jeremy--thanks for spreading (kind of) the gospel of pawpaws. Reasonable folks in the South (are there any?) can disagree about pawpaws, livermush, the Bible, and daylight savings time. You neglected to mention however an important additional benefit of the pawpaw. It is the only host for the beautiful zebra swallowtail butterfly. my best. Ray Owens
I sang a song in childhood called Where oh Where is Dear Little Mary?
The answer came in the chorus āway down yonder in the PawPaw Patchā. Thatās the only time I remember hearing about a Pawpaw. Thanks Jeremy, for bringing back a 55+ year old memory!
Up in NY, my aunt had a pawpaw tree out her front door. They were much larger than the picture. Wondering if yours weren't completely ripe. I never tried them either and I'm obsessed to
A bit of a dry article... BUT REMARKABLY CLOSE TO MY OWN PAW PAW EXPERIENCE š šš. I read a lot of old time-y books, and paw paw fruit is invariably mentioned at some point, casually, and without any description of it's taste, just that it's good and readily available in the woods. So... I too became weirdly obsessed with them, mainly because I could never FIND any paw paw fruit, and their fruit season is SO short. Every September, I'd get excited about maybe finding one on a hike, and never did.
BUT THIS YEAR, I FINALLY DID!!
... Aaaaaaand.... They're okay, " not amazing " to be polite and, " a weird consistency, and tasting of slightly creamy cantaloupe gone wrong somehow... " To be honest...
Jeremy, did you consider that the ones you picked were unripe? I have no knowledge of paw paws but they sound a lot like the notorious durian. Iām intrigued by those but havenāt had a taste. I need a durian guide
Our church is Paw Creek Presbyterian Church in Charlotte NC - the name came from the Pawpaw trees that grew on the property. I believe there are still some in the woods around the church.
Keep bringing em' on! Every hour I spend listening to the online baseless strutting, bragging, and outright insults by other folks (yes, I mean Texans and Patriots' fans), I am glad I live in this imperfect state and in this imperfect region. We have a ways to go but we at least have a sense of irony about it. Thanks again.
I consider myself a very knowledgeable native North Carolinian and I'm sad (and embarrassed!) that I had never heard of a pawpaw!! Now I'm on a mission too. Gotta find some and see if I like them!
Allen's nursery in Rocky Mount sells Pawpaw trees and seeing them there was the first time I'd ever even heard of them. They also attract butterflies which is pretty cool.
Jeremy--thanks for spreading (kind of) the gospel of pawpaws. Reasonable folks in the South (are there any?) can disagree about pawpaws, livermush, the Bible, and daylight savings time. You neglected to mention however an important additional benefit of the pawpaw. It is the only host for the beautiful zebra swallowtail butterfly. my best. Ray Owens
That was a beautiful story! Maynard's tree flourishing brought tears to my eyes. Thank you!
I sang a song in childhood called Where oh Where is Dear Little Mary?
The answer came in the chorus āway down yonder in the PawPaw Patchā. Thatās the only time I remember hearing about a Pawpaw. Thanks Jeremy, for bringing back a 55+ year old memory!
Up in NY, my aunt had a pawpaw tree out her front door. They were much larger than the picture. Wondering if yours weren't completely ripe. I never tried them either and I'm obsessed to
A bit of a dry article... BUT REMARKABLY CLOSE TO MY OWN PAW PAW EXPERIENCE š šš. I read a lot of old time-y books, and paw paw fruit is invariably mentioned at some point, casually, and without any description of it's taste, just that it's good and readily available in the woods. So... I too became weirdly obsessed with them, mainly because I could never FIND any paw paw fruit, and their fruit season is SO short. Every September, I'd get excited about maybe finding one on a hike, and never did.
BUT THIS YEAR, I FINALLY DID!!
... Aaaaaaand.... They're okay, " not amazing " to be polite and, " a weird consistency, and tasting of slightly creamy cantaloupe gone wrong somehow... " To be honest...
I was very disappointed šš
I enjoyed your story. Seems like Paw Paws are bad luck for you. Lol!
Jeremy, did you consider that the ones you picked were unripe? I have no knowledge of paw paws but they sound a lot like the notorious durian. Iām intrigued by those but havenāt had a taste. I need a durian guide
Our church is Paw Creek Presbyterian Church in Charlotte NC - the name came from the Pawpaw trees that grew on the property. I believe there are still some in the woods around the church.
Just this year my wife discovered pawpaw trees on our property. She was so excited! They smell like pineapple heaven. They taste awful. ā¹ļø
Keep bringing em' on! Every hour I spend listening to the online baseless strutting, bragging, and outright insults by other folks (yes, I mean Texans and Patriots' fans), I am glad I live in this imperfect state and in this imperfect region. We have a ways to go but we at least have a sense of irony about it. Thanks again.
I consider myself a very knowledgeable native North Carolinian and I'm sad (and embarrassed!) that I had never heard of a pawpaw!! Now I'm on a mission too. Gotta find some and see if I like them!
My husband gets to listen to me read anecdotes from your stories today. I could not pass up hoot owl meteorology as one of them.
Allen's nursery in Rocky Mount sells Pawpaw trees and seeing them there was the first time I'd ever even heard of them. They also attract butterflies which is pretty cool.
Pears are also native to NC. Most agree they are yummy. Maybe that orchard dream deserves another chance.
Used to live in Paw Paw, WV. One of their best uses is daiquiri!
Love the storytelling, Jeremy. Soooo North Carolinian!šš»š