Tasting some delicious Ontario pawpaws!

[@parsley_plants]

This video has me so excited - I'm planting an NC-1 and an Allegheny this week!!! Fingers crossed that I can keep my baby trees happy.

[@GlutenFreeGuy]

Great. That's fantastic. If you have questions feel free to just ask.

[@alexw890]

Me too! I have a Nc-1, a Sunflower, and Overleese on the way!

[@kathille6622]

Just bought two young paw paw seedlings that are Asimina triloba variety. They are about 12 inches tall right now. Are they fast growing? How long to produce fruit, seven years or more? Thanks! Loved that you guys taste tested a variety of them and gave detailed descriptions. I didn’t realize that there were so many different ones, but it makes sense, why shouldn’t there be? I still haven’t tasted a paw paw fruit and am looking forward to one day trying them. 😋

[@GlutenFreeGuy]

Thanks for the comment. You're looking at 7-8 years. Pawpaws grow very slowly in the first few years to develop their roots and then they shoot up and will produce fruit when they are over 2 meters or 6.5 feet tall.

[@chrisstanford3652]

Just ordered 2 varieties from Ty Ty nursery 🤗

[@GlutenFreeGuy]

Great. Have fun! Thanks for commenting.

[@NickijoeCanuck]

I can’t wait to grow some (outside of Ottawa). I found someone who will give me seeds. It’s a shame nurseries don’t sell them seeing as they are native.

[@GlutenFreeGuy]

Hi, you can purchase pawpaw trees from nurseries, however they do sell quickly. We normally source our trees from Grimo Nut Nursery or Wiffletree Nurseries in Ontario (They're both for sale as of January 29th 2022). If you don't have luck with them check out Facebook Marketplace or Kajiji in the Spring/Summer as many people, including us, tend to sell pawpaw (first and second year) trees.

[@katiepuckett573]

I purchased two paw paw trees early spring. One is a Benson, which leafed out and is in the ground near my Butternut tree doing well. The second was a NC-1 which never leafed out. After watching your video, I am definitely going to try again with an NC-1 next spring.

[@GlutenFreeGuy]

We love the NC1. Thanks for commenting.

[@kathille6622]

Oh! I have a Butternut in my back garden as well, and thought that the juglone would harm them, so was thinking of planting them in the front yard. However, if yours is doing well, then I might rethink this and plant them in the back where it’s more sheltered in the winter and also more sheltered from the sun in the hot summers.

[@MarkyMark145]

What would be a good reputable company to source my baby grafted trees? i would like to start some new projects next year for this.

[@GlutenFreeGuy]

It really depends on where you live. If you're in Canada. Wiffletree Nursery, and Nutcracker Nursery both have good reputations. In the United States: Stark Bros.

[@yaddahaysmarmalite4059]

The last time I had pawpaws was about 25years ago. They were from some wild trees I found in Tennessee. They were good but seedy. Some were more seeds than pulp.

[@GlutenFreeGuy]

That's very true for the wild pawpaws. There are now varieties that people grow where there is lots of pulp to enjoy. The seeds are still large, but the fruit can be quite large. The pawpaw I ate today was about 650g/23oz. Which is huge!

[@lisaholgash2924]

I am planting a Shenandoah, Susquehanna, Potomac, and a Overleese but I also want the NC-1 texture. I intend to make sorbets mixing in lime or passion fruit , etc.

[@GlutenFreeGuy]

That sounds awesome. Thanks for commenting.

[@marciam1048]

Hi, are you in Ontario, Canada?, if you are, do you mind telling where to buy pawpaw trees?. Thank you.

[@pyraxusthelutarian7276]

Thanks for posting, I too am a Paw Paw enthusiast and I live in Pennsylvania just south of Pittsburgh where there are literally thousands of wild Paw Paw trees in my area, mostly along larger rivers. I have four trees planted in my yard, two Collin's varieties and two unnamed, the largest of which will be flowering for the first time next spring. I have also been planting seed all around my home location for the last three years from wild patches in an effort to spread their availability. Just in the woods and borders around my property I have had over 20 seedlings come up. As only one of my four trees will be flowering next spring I am planning on hand pollinating from wild varieties and also grafting three scions onto it from my three favorite wild patches so it will be able to self pollinate the following spring. Those three wild varieties (out of many dozens of patches) are all distinctly different. The first produces larger fruit with a nearly white pulp (like heavy cream) which tastes like a banana-vanilla blend. The second produces average sized fruit with a bright light yellow pulp with the typical banana-mango or paw paw flavor and the third produces smaller fruit which have a nearly orange pulp and a sort of mango-cantaloupe flavor. I'm finding new patches all the time and have only found one patch where the fruit just wasn't that great. It's amazing how few people know about this native North American gem. Again, thanks for sharing. :-)

[@GlutenFreeGuy]

Thanks for sharing your knowledge. It's nice to meet a fellow pawpaw enthusiast.

[@WorldOfARandomVegan]

Can you tell me exactly which parks/areas to go in PA? It'd be worth the drive for me.

[@GlutenFreeGuy]

Not sure which areas in PA to travel to as I'm located in Ontario. Thanks for commenting.

[@Acolis]

i tried pawpaw for the first time today but im not sure which variety. they made my mouth kinda tingle so i might be allergic to them

[@GlutenFreeGuy]

Oh no. That's too bad. I hope you're not allergic to pawpaw. The skin and seeds can't be consumed. Thanks for commenting.

[@mrminer071166]

I've grown Tallahatchie & Susquehanna in San Diego for a year; the big drama now is whether they leaf-out, what with our small amount of chill. Very interested to hear how the various varieties are described!

[@GlutenFreeGuy]

Let us know how they do in San Diego. We're growing Tallahatchie now. Tell us what you think of it. Thanks for watching.

[@mrminer071166]

@@GlutenFreeGuy I told the paw-paw group on FB that I was going to cross Susquehanna and Tallahatchie . . . and if I got a good result, I would call it "Sasquatch."

[@mrminer071166]

@@GlutenFreeGuy I'm fierce about growing fruit for maximal aesthetic effect. Here's Jared reviewing some of my grapes. ;)

[@mrminer071166]

I plan to get all the Peterson Paw-paws and trial them here to find out. It'll take a few years, but all the info will be written up. @@johnjackson8899

[@Salmiyaguy1]

I like those coveralls!

[@GlutenFreeGuy]

Thanks.

[@sophien5416]

You have so many varieties! Amaze-paws!!! Do you sell your seeds?

[@GlutenFreeGuy]

Yes, but we can only ship within Canada. There is a fundraiser that we're a part of on Facebook at facebook.com/groups/canadapawpawfans. Jamie is one of the admins there.

[@THEEVAAN]

Very good information Do you sale any pawpaw trees to buy

[@GlutenFreeGuy]

I would suggest look at Marketplace on Facebook and look in Durham Region.

[@AH-of6td]

Is it possible to grow pawpaw in Montreal?

[@GlutenFreeGuy]

Absolutely. Pawpaw can be grown in Montreal. The nurseries (Green Barn Nursery, and Verger Pepiniere Bord-du-lac) which sell pawpaw trees in the Montreal area. You can also order from Wiffletree or Grimo in Ontario.

[@barbarasimoes9463]

I read about pawpaws probably thirty years ago, but for some reason, I didn't think I'd like the consistency. Fast-forward to a few years ago when someone a few towns over posted that he had a glut of them and was willing to give them away. I drove up there, and it was love at first taste. I am kicking myself for not planting some when I first read about them! Anyway, now I have eight pawpaw trees growing, across a five year time span and am eager for them to start producing. (I live in Middlebury, VT--zone 5A) They are infuriatingly slow to grow. My oldest trees are maybe four feet tall. My question is if they brown like bananas do or if they keep their color after being cut into. I plan to scoop out the fruit and put the pulp through a food mill and freeze it. I just don't know if any precautions need to be taken so it doesn't get gross looking! Thank you for the great video; I found the taste observations very helpful and entertaining!

[@GlutenFreeGuy]

Hi there Barbara, Thanks for your comment. Pawpaw trees are sure slow to grow, but will produce well once they begin producing. Ours were about 6.5 feet tall before they started producing. If you're going to process and freeze it, it shouldn't brown on you. But if you cut into it and leave it exposed to air, it will discolour over time. Just make sure you don't process with any seeds or skin in the processed pulp.

[@KidGarden100]

I love paw paws !

[@GlutenFreeGuy]

I love them too. Thanks for commenting.

[@zunicougar8829]

Are u sure u didnt mislabel the Susquehana? From my understanding its the largest variety out there and the NC1 pile looks like the Susquehana. Also NC1 wasnt bred from native Ontarian fruit. Best thing to do is grow seeds from the Niagara forests. But you got a great looking pile there. Totally agree with the flavor descriptions, cant wait to try my Susquehana once it produces fruit.

[@GlutenFreeGuy]

We are absolutely certain that they were correctly labelled. Susquehanna does have the reputation for growing the largest fruit, but not for us this year. And we've also found that each of our trees grows many different sizes of fruit. Most people like to show off their biggest fruit and it is not representative of what a tree actually grows. Regardless, the Susquehanna grew large fruit, as advertised.

[@WorldOfARandomVegan]

Can you tell me where in Niagara to find pawpaw trees?

[@Alijargo]

Thanks for all that info! I know so little about pawpaws. I only know one person who's ever mentioned them before. I want to grow them now. I'll have to see if I can get them in Nova Scotia. Are they easy to grow?

[@GlutenFreeGuy]

Pawpaws are a really slow growing tree. We planted ours and in the first year they grew quite well. The second year it didn't look they were even alive and then in the third year, boom they shot right up (about a meter) over the summer. Pawpaws can be grown in Ottawa, but not further north than that. Where I am, it is a zone 6b and they love it. Not sure what zone you live in.

[@Alijargo]

@@GlutenFreeGuy I think our zone is pretty close to Ottawa's. I'll see what I can find online about growing pawpaws here. Thanks!

[@WorldOfARandomVegan]

The city of Hamilton was giving trees away the past few Saturdays and I was thrilled to see pawpaw on the list. But I went last week and they were all gone. I went this morning much earlier and they were gone again! I'm so disappointed. I only learned about pawpaws over the pandemic.

[@WorldOfARandomVegan]

​@@GlutenFreeGuy What is your backyard like? Did you plant them in shade?

[@brucebursey6676]

This is the second year pawpaws have fruited in my Kingston, ON garden. Do you hand pollinate your trees?

[@GlutenFreeGuy]

Yes. We hand pollinate our trees to ensure that we get the most amount of fruit. Make sure to pollinate from one tree to another and not use the pollen from the same tree to pollinate itself.

[@WorldOfARandomVegan]

Where did you get your seeds/seedlings?

[@GlutenFreeGuy]

Grimo Nut Nursery in Southern Ontario is where we got our pawpaws, however they don't sell grafted cutivars anymore. As for seedlings we grow many of ours from seed from fruit that we harvest from the previous year.

[@ARCSTREAMS]

the ones i seen in magazines or tv look more like pickle shaped and a bit darker green,, but guys i been wondering where i can find these to buy in toronto are there some farmer markets, farms or stores selling them? if so where ,,or areas to find them in the wild like maybe Niagara falls or Hamilton,, those zones you spoke about are these the same as fishing zones like when you look at the fishing regulations ? and the ones in the wild are not cross breeds or artificially made like in some farms right?

[@GlutenFreeGuy]

Thanks for commenting. The zones are USDA growing zones, which are not the same as fishing. Pawpaws are often mistaken for Papayas in some Carribean countries and Australia. Papaya is often called Pawpaw. North American pawpaws can not be found in the grocery store. In October, try Forbes Wild Foods, or Warners Farm for fresh pawpaws. These two companies typically sell at farmers markets. Wild pawpaws are threatened in Ontario and you should not forage for them.

[@ARCSTREAMS]

@@GlutenFreeGuy i heard of forbes but not warners, is this a farm location? and thought forbes only sold at there store ,but they are expensive ,i know there is one that sells in nagara too called grimo nut nursery i think cheaper, why are the wild ones threatened?

[@ARCSTREAMS]

how many varieties are there? and do they continue to rippen once picked even if picked too early?

[@GlutenFreeGuy]

There are many varieties of pawpaws. Pawpaws don't really ripen well if picked too early. They are best harvested from the ground because they drop when they are ripe.

[@ARCSTREAMS]

@@GlutenFreeGuy ahh so they will not ripen properly at all if picked too early then? so how do stores like forbes manage to sell large quantities of them? is this all done in a day or two??

[@laughingoutloud5742]

I was born and raised in Southern Ontario but didn't know about pawpaw until now - stuck in Alberta and now craving them. You guys are killing me!! Lololol ❤ What are the growing conditions needed?

[@GlutenFreeGuy]

Hey. Thanks for commenting. Their native range is zones 6-9, but they can be grown in zone 5 and parts of zone 4. What they need is a hot summer to ripen their fruit.

[@zunicougar8829]

Anyone have an opinion/ description on the flavor profile of Pennsylvania Golden?

[@GlutenFreeGuy]

It is an early ripening variety. There are a few different varieties out there and I haven't tasted them all. It is a variety that gets really mixed reviews. Some people really like it and others think it is lacklustre. The ones that I've had have been quite firm.

[@ARCSTREAMS]

how did you get a hold of so many from where and how much /lb?

[@GlutenFreeGuy]

Hi Arcstreams. We grew those in our backyard on just a few trees. At the time of the filming we had 3 trees producing fruit.

[@ARCSTREAMS]

@@GlutenFreeGuy nice are you in canada, if so wondering what part you grow those in

[@GlutenFreeGuy]

We're located in Southern Ontario (growing zone 6a). Just east of Toronto.

[@ARCSTREAMS]

@@GlutenFreeGuy you kidding east of toronto?? im in toronto but from the map searches ive seen on where pawpaws grow it only shows a portion of the horsehoe area so im surprised, also do you have a map that shows this zone 6a in canada because i can not find one ? i think there is one in the usa maybe same time zone?

[@ARCSTREAMS]

can you grow these in a backyard or in a forest area from seeds?

[@GlutenFreeGuy]

Yes to both. Thanks for commenting.

[@ARCSTREAMS]

@@GlutenFreeGuy if i took the seed from one fruit pod and planted it will it also fruit or should i be planting all the seeds from the same fruit pod for better chances? thank you

[@GlutenFreeGuy]

You will need two seedlings, or two different grafted varieties to get fruit. They need to cross pollinate. Seedlings all have different genes, whereas two of the same grafted variety have the same genes, hence two seedlings or two different grafted varieties.

[@ARCSTREAMS]

@@GlutenFreeGuy ok so that means i can take two seeds only from the same fruit pod and they will both end up fruiting after so many years? but you can not take two grafts from the same tree right? what are my chances with only one seed ?

[@GlutenFreeGuy]

@ARCSTREAMS one tree will only give you fruit if there is another pawpaw nearby that if can cross pollinate with.

[@taheraomar9210]

May I get some seeds pls

[@GlutenFreeGuy]

Kentucky State University has a seed program in the USA. If you're in Canada, you should be able to find sales on sites like marketplace and kajiji.

[@ARCSTREAMS]

are they expensive?

[@GlutenFreeGuy]

Pawpaws in Ontario, during the harvest season typically are priced around $20-$25.00 per pound or $44-$55 per kilo of fruit. Prices are stated in Canadian dollars.

[@ARCSTREAMS]

@@GlutenFreeGuythat is ridiculously outrageous , i heard $6/lb at a place in niagara and $15/lb at forbes but still crazy, maybe one day if this fruit grows(pun intended) commercial productive and cultivation wise the prices will go down ,,one day

[@casha1612]

Willing to sell me seeds?

[@GlutenFreeGuy]

If you're in Canada try "Canada Pawpaw Fans" on Facebook.

[@trilobES.]

Thank you very much for the amazing video!!

[@GlutenFreeGuy]

My pleasure. Thanks for commenting.

[@ARCSTREAMS]

man i wana make sorbet or ice cream with them

[@GlutenFreeGuy]

:)