The Paw Paw taste test

The Paw Paw Taste Test is here! Note, this video discusses the North American Paw paw (Asinoma Triloba) and not what some other countries call a "pawpaw" which is a papaya. These 2 things are both completely different fruits and trees.
Timestamps:
00:00 Taste Test
06:52 Description of the flavor
08:59 Don't eat the skin
Annonacin (toxicity) warning:
www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/int...
10:52 Germinating Seeds
For great recipes, cooking, storing, canning, and growing tips, check out Gardening in the North: / @gardeninginthenorth
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[@rickershomesteadahobbyfarm3291]

These are native to my area but you can’t find them anymore. I’ve been growing them from seed and trying to re-establish them on my property. I’m currently trying to re-establish a lot of native species on my property.

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

That is some great fulfilling work! Thanks for doing it!

[@mrwess1927]

Your efforts may prevent extinctions of plant species given how degraded the environment is in so many areas..... thousands of years from now, the pawpaw is only found in this small area because it died out.... just an odd thought.

[@gangofgreenhorns2672]

If you can successfully sever and transplant a runner they grow way faster than a seedling. Usually is a full year process though (cut the root in the ground, wait a year, then dig it up).

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

Oh thats interesting. We have a few runners and I was planning on digging them up for Poppy and Sherry (understanding that they are clones of the original tree and they will need genertically different trees to polinate). I will try to sever the runner root and leave it in the ground for a year! Instead of just digging them up this fall. Thanks for the tip!

[@gangofgreenhorns2672]

@@CanadianPermacultureLegacy No problem, found that info during some KSU presentation on paw paws, and I got one paw paw that was clearly a runner from Black Creek Farm this year. It put on about 4 foot of growth compared to

[@cupbowlspoonforkknif]

Greenbarn nursery out of Quebec was selling paw paw seeds that they claimed were zone 3 hardy! They were out of stock this year though. Thank you for helping spread this amazing fruit! It makes sense not to sell them yet. In another 7 years you can have hundreds available that are well tested for your zone.

[@yes12337]

I live in Poland and own 3 pawpaw trees in pots. I think they still need ca 10 years to bear fruits, but now I will know how to eat it. Thanks for sharing 👍

[@CMSCK]

I have two in a pot. This is their second winter. Last year I buried the pot and covered with straw. They survived but super slow at waking up in Spring. I think I will bury the pot again this winter in the same spot. They are approx 9-12 inches high. They were grown from seed. Next spring I think I will plant in the ground. So excited to grow in my suburban yard.

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

Thanks for sharing your experience!

[@petereisenzopf7663]

If you have a decent number of paw paw seeds, you can germinate and start all of them efficiently in a small space using air pruning boxes. Sean from Edible Acres has great videos on air prune boxes

[@garthwunsch]

Hi Keith... I was just reading Diana Beresford-Kroeger's book, The Sweetness of a Simple Life, pg 274 where she was talking about Pawpaws, and how she discovered a way to readily germinate what are typically difficult to germinate seeds. She lives just south of Ottawa. If you haven't read this gem, you'd really love it. I'm seriously considering planting some of these seeds this year... and I'm 79. I'm building a large screen cage to keep raccoons off the pear trees I've ordered. (my short term life goal is to live to 125... then decide what I want to be when I grow up). The shelter is a repurposed Shelter Logic frame covered with 1"x1" hardware cloth. I built my Toronto-based daughter one last fall... should work well. I'll email you a pic. Apparently the trees grow to 30' so Ill have to prune it into some modified shape to live within the cage. I'm in zone 4 with a good microclimate... kept a Japanese Maple alive for ten years, but it didn't thrive, just survived, with lots of winter TLC.

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

I love it! I love the "then figure out what to do when I grow up", you made me laugh this morning. Thanks for starting my day off wonderfully LOL

[@StayPrimal]

Hello my friend! Hope you had a great summer! :)

[@adultpersonman4612]

Super sweet video. I planted about a dozen pawpaws this year and I’m so excited for when me and my family get to do this in about a decade lol

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

😆 🤣

[@HavoJavo]

I planted ~2 year old paw paws from a nursery and got fruit after ~3 seasons... Doesn't take that long if they are healthy and planted in full sunlight :)

[@lgrantsimmons]

Congratulations on your Pawpaw harvest. I'm still waiting for my trees to mature a little more. I'm 67 years old and remember as a child native Pawpaw trees on our farm between Ottawa and Cornwall. My father who had been born on that farm, identified the tree though he did not tell me if they ever ate the fruit. The fruit looked so odd and undesirable on the ground, that I never tasted it. I live on the farm next door and have never seen a Pawpaw here until I started planting them. I suspect as fencelines were cleared for more farmland, the last of the native trees disappeared.

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

Wow! You could have a gold mine there if you could find some and sell seed. That is very cold hardy trees! I've never even heard of paw paws that can tolerate zone 3 conditions.

[@lgrantsimmons]

We are actually 5a/b Canadian zone @@CanadianPermacultureLegacy

[@westvirginiaminer3046]

I have about 15 to 20 behind my house. Mine are anywhere from 3’-15’ tall. The deer get most and bears get a bunch.

[@mvbelinskiy]

Congratulations on first harvest.

[@GUNNER67akaKelt]

There is a town named after these in Michigan. Or, I guess, the town was named after the Paw Paw river that was named after the fruit.

[@lauragalenkamp454]

Congrats on the great harvest! Love the plan for developing cold hardiness! Thanks for sharing this and all your knowledge. I will be starting my food forest next spring/summer in zone 4 so your videos are great inspiration.

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

Wonderful! Best of luck. I'm always here to help answer questions as you discover them in your journey!

[@MsCaterific]

💙 I thought I recognized Gardening in the North. Already subscribed.

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

😆 ❤️

[@stampcrab]

Such a nice video and community in the comments!

[@fkeeleung]

Lovely video - Thanks for sharing and keep up the good work!

[@arcadiapermaculture974]

A banner day for you! Congrats!

[@dennispovloski8102]

Thank you for this video!

[@Lochness19]

I've read some conflicting information about germinating them. -that they should not be frozen (I have not done so, but not sure why that would harm them as they're native to places with ground freeze?). -that they should have the seed lining kept on (to prevent them from drying out) -that they should be kept in soil/peat moss Keeping the seed lining on + keeping them in moist soil/peat moss seems like it could cause them to get moldy quite easily? Last year, I removed the seed lining, and then placed them in moist peat moss in the fridge for 4 months, but the germination rate wasn't great and several got moldy (not in the fridge but in the 70-75F peat moss). By the way, yeah, they do seem to have large root systems. With the ones I germinated this spring, I discovered that the majority of the material in the seed actually goes towards developing a root system, with very little going towards the stem/leaf. With such a large seed, you'd expect a squash sized cotyledon, but it's actually more pepper-sized, but it'll send out several thick (but fairly fragile) roots to a distance of 3-4" from where the seed was, both downwards, and outwards. However, after that the root development seems to slow down and the seedling focuses on growing the leaves to the point where it catches up to the root system more. My seedlings are in ~1 gal containers about 6" wide and 10-12" tall.

[@annburge291]

I've never had problems with germinating stone fruits in the fridge and them going mouldy... with all the mould, chucked out into the garden as rubbish, they grew into trees and had to be transplanted. Another time the mouldy seeds were washed with vinegar to get rid of the mould and then planted with care had a few grow but many less. I think it makes a difference how long you let the mould grow in the ziplock bag. I use double layer ziplock bags and I always avoid breathing in moulds.

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

Great info, very appreciated!

[@razorman77]

Excellent work! I hope to have pawpaw with you one day!

[@waykeeperfarmandnerdery]

We planted 3 named varieties this spring, excited to see them grow up. I’d also love to start some from seed, but the closest farm that has them is an hour away and it’s hard to time our visit so they’ll still have some for sale. Loved seeing your family try the fruit too!

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

Good luck! I hope to hear one say when you get fruit

[@pattibando3104]

Awesome video Clean family fun

[@bobburkinshaw9408]

Congratulations, Keith, on your first harvest and positive taste test! I planted 2 paw paws this year and hope that I don't have to wait quite as long for fruit. I have read that their leaves and branches are resistant to deer browsing but you mentioned damage by deer. Was it significant damage?

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

Yeah 1 or 2 they ate both trees down to the ground. That was it though. Since then, we have tons of deer scat everywhere but no damage on the paw paws. They prioritize eating apples.

[@lwjenson]

The problem with seeds is that they have a wide genetic diversity. The size and quality of paw paws varies widely. If you have a small space, like a suburban environment just buy a tree that has a good reputation.

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

Totally agree, especially considering the slow growth and fruiting of the tree. It would suck to wait 8 years and get a tiny paw paw fruit, or rock hard, or one that was mostly seeds, etc.

[@mgs721]

Great video. These are such a "trendy'" fruit now. I was fascinated by them after reading Andrew Moore's book and got three different varieties from Stark Bros. Nursery. THey're all about 1-2 years old, so obviously no fruit yet, but I can't wait to taste them in 5 years or so! (if the deer or SoCal weather doesn't get them first).

[@jonipleau9284]

Loved this family gathering! 🥰 I've got my paw Paw seeds coming! Have you tried air pruning? I'm going to try this also have Moringa and hopefully chestnuts to air prune this winter.

[@thehazelnutspread]

I had no idea they could grow in Canada.........EXCELLENT

[@lrrerh8090]

Hopefully I will be able to taste one of these one day. Likely impossible to grow here in Calgary. Zone 3b

[@nancynesytofreske]

I just break them in half and squeeze the fruit out, like a push up. As the seeds get in my mouth, I just spit them out. The best fruit ever!!!

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

The skin is strong enough to do that? I feel like if I tried that with mine, the skin would just break really easily (very thin). I will try it on the next one I eat.

[@nancynesytofreske]

It gets a little mushy but you can get everything out easily. No utensils needed!@@CanadianPermacultureLegacy

[@bluegrassdiggers9030]

I agree caveman style is the best especially right off the tree in the middle of the woods. The best tasting pawpaws are the ones that get a little sun on them as they are ripening.

[@annburge291]

Loved watching the taste test and having a good look at what a paw paw looks like... The cold hardy version of a tropical custard apple. The autumn yellow leaves look spectacular. In reality, I consider the 'whole food' concept a total misnomer... the art of healthy eating is knowing what to eat of a plant, what not to eat, how much to eat, with what, how to prepare it... stuff the whole food concept. I laugh if I imagine myself munching on prickly pear prickles, filled chicken intestines, fungi mats in the soil, pineapple tops....It is important to know what not to eat: Aloe vera cactus leaves have poisonous outer green layer, the yellow sap is highly diuretic but the interior gel highly nutritious. Same with jicama, the skin is a gut irritant, but the interior a great starch. I'm not into eating my orange peel, although I eat cumquat peel and stuff the banana peel (that goes to the chooks).

[@ninemoonplanet]

The only thing I missed was soil type or whether they tolerate very dry conditions. I suspect those require a slightly damp area with at least some way to allow the tap root to drive down enough to stabilize the tree.

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

Yes, they tend to grow along rivers and streams and ideally want moist well draining soils with lots of fertility.

[@growinginportland]

It’s on my to do list to grow some Paw Paws. One of these days.

[@HavoJavo]

Grats ! I also had my first paw paw harvest this year. I don't really recognize the "banana/custard" flavor notes.. for me, it tastes exactly like custard apple or cherimoya, since I grew up eating both, I just recognize that flavor. I was so happy to discover that the pawpaw has that exact flavor profile in abundance, only with hints of mango and pineapple.. dare say pawpaw is even better than cherimoya or custard apples that I've had ! I had both Overleese and Susquehannah fruit for me.. susquehannah had more of those mango/pineapple aftertaste notes than overleese, but both tasted predominantly of "moya". My Wabash did not fruit yet but it's only been in the ground for a couple of years. Highly recommend SuperThrive for the non-fruiting trees (mostly foliar, since it has kelp I'm afraid of raising rootzone pH).. Had my planted trees fruit in just 3 years (but they were 1-2 years old) .. almost doubled in size each year :)

[@HavoJavo]

PS: I dug a pretty deep hole and made my own soil mix (coco peat based) very heavy on organic materails (mulch,dried leaves, compost) as suggested by seasoned paw paw growers. These are river-side trees so they need more water than most trees and if you give them that water they will grow much faster. The roots do not appreciate pH/rH swings so they will do much better with a constant dripline feeding them and keeping the rootzone moist and happy... rather than waiting for the soil to dry before watering..

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

Great info thanks! The area they are doing best in is a low land area, and all the rain we get eventually funnels down there. That's the exact reason I chose that area, because they tend to grow near rivers in nature.

[@darlenesmith2456]

This was fun

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

❤️

[@frankiaconis7788]

Great video, i have several seedlings in the ground and cant wait to get established trees let alone fruit. An alternative tropical fruit which is much more abundant and available is Mayapple. Had several fruit Labourday weekend... i had the exact same reaction as your guests.....have you had any ? Im in SW Ontario

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

No, I haven't. I will have to get some!

[@saltriverorchards4190]

I love Paw Paws

[@donnaduhamel6004]

Fun love your sucess!❤🎉😊

[@basilsmith62]

Согласен с тем, что если поиграться с семенами зимой, то можно за один год пройти два года роста растения. Это очень ускоряет "планы" с деревьями. А ещё биовегитарий "рулит".;))

[@bookswithatwist-vanvelzerp9262]

For any fruit - as we get excited - taste it first ! I personally hate the taste of paw paws - and had a whole patch area planned out and was set to get about 6 trees the next spring ! LOL

[@CampingforCool41]

I’ve heard that pawpaws can vary a lot in taste and quality so it might be worth trying a number of varieties before deciding

[@barbarasimoes9463]

I've only tasted a few, but the banana comparison can be misleading. The paw paw is not dry like a banana and the texture is very custardy, as you said. There really is no discernable graininess to them like mangoes can have, either. They taste very soft and gentle. If you've ever tasted a Kousa dogwood fruit (the pinkish spiky balls) it reminds me of them...but much less work!

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

This is very accurate.

[@Lochness19]

I bought some fruits from a farmer's market last year and managed to get 4 seeds to germinate. I'm growing them in tree pots for the first year to overwinter in the garage (where it will freeze, but should give some protection), and the planning on planting in the spring. Or maybe I'll buy some trees. The ones from the market were apparently from a farm near Creemore, ON - not sure the variety. Do you think they'll come relatively true to seed or is it better to buy a couple and use the rest as pollinators/redundancy? I was able to find a few places with wild trees too where I picked a good amount of fruit this October - in Elgin and Kent county. Should have about 150-200 seeds and I'll try to germinate them all. If they don't go in my yard (which is not that big + has trees taking up half the space), then I'll either sell them to a neighbour with some acreage that's also into permaculture, or plant them beside some stormwater ponds in local subdivisions.

[@Lochness19]

The ones you grew are bigger than the wild ones I found. Some of my wild ones were tiny, with only 1 seed per fruit, and barely bigger than a cherry tomato (20-30g). Typically, they were in the 50-100g range with 3-5 seeds, although a few were 100-120g (those were from Kent County). The flesh was more of a pale yellow than yours. They seem to taste best when there's quite a bit of brown on the skin. When the skin is fully brown it's a bit over-ripe though, but still quite good. I find that they taste like banana-vanilla-custard. I don't detect any mango taste on my wild ones - it just looks a bit like one. Skin on the wild ones is really thin, like a grape, which I usually pull off with a small sharp knife (ex pocket knife). Interesting nutritional stats on the paw paws. Lots of magnesium and manganese, but perhaps most notably, 2.5x more iron than beef, making it the most iron rich food after dark unsweetened chocolate (tied or barely ahead of cashews). My permaculture friend with a small farm and a kid with a meat allergy is trying to grow some too.

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

I have almost no experience with them, I would only be guessing.

[@debbies2966]

How large was your paw paw tree when you planted it in full sun? I purchased two seedlings so far and planted them in the tree line and blocked the direct sun with a piece of cardboard till they get larger.

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

They were about a foot and a half. The lower area is quite shaded. There are large cedars and oaks down there. Some other paw paws that are a few years behind these ones, and were planted in full sun. In their first year those ones got badly sun burnt, and I wasn't sure they would survive. I three shade cloth over them once I saw all the sub damage. After they are about w years old, or around 2 feet tall, they can usually handle full sun.

[@debbies2966]

@@CanadianPermacultureLegacy thank you. I am in NC zone 7b. The sun here is brutal in the Summer. I am growing sweet fern near the tree line too. It is supposed to grow up to zone 6b but the tree line is offering some afternoon shade protection for this plant also. So far so good 😊

[@littlehomesteadbythebeach]

Why am I too far north (or cold) to grow those tasty things! Ah well. My apples are still good heh!

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

❤️

[@Double0pi]

I think I'm too far north to grow these. :( Also, inquiring minds want to know: are your boys running the camera?

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

It was just on a tripod. Derek (brother in law) was just off screen, and was busy doing something, which is why he wasn't in the video (but we talked to him in a few points in the video).

[@sarkamarova6195]

which variety you have? I have Lynns Favourite and Mango.

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

Potomac, Shenandoah, Susquehanna, Wabash, Campbell NC-1, KSU Chappell. The ones producing now however, I don't know what variety they are because they were never labeled at the nursery. It just said paw paw.

[@kimmieskuisinehomesteading1575]

I like this fruit my boss has 2 papaw trees on his property

[@valiantmcleod]

What the botanical name and does anyone send to Australia? Cold temperate thanks

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

Asinoma Tiloba

[@crazyplantlady2403]

What zone are you in? I'm in zone 5, still haven't gotten any. I keep buying trees but they keep dying.

[@barbarasimoes9463]

I'm in zone 5, and I presently have six trees. Some haven't done much, while others are finally over my head--not a huge feat as I'm now only 4'11"! One was run over by a lawnmower and another was attacked by a weed whacker--both have come back and are growing, even though they were pretty much entirely girdled, so there is something to be said for letting all the growth go into its tap root! Are you sure they are dead? They are VERY late to leaf out; I wouldn't be too eager to pull them out.

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

We are Canadian zone 5, which is similar to USDA zone 4.

[@piotrwojdelko1150]

I have planted exotic Taiwanese Paw Paw in Poland variety called Jaspis .I can't find any reliable info about this variety and I suspect a scam ,because it will have pinkish flesh .Do you think it is possible to have pink flesh in Paw Paw.

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

My first reaction is that it's a different plant completely. Many plants are called pawpaw, some related to papaya. Asinoma Triloba wouldn't grow well in Taiwan.

[@kimmieskuisinehomesteading1575]

To me it taste like banana and mango

[@phylwilton1827]

I was asked to brush out and clean up a yard that had been overplanted... In Tulsa, Oklahoma. (my gardener business is ArtScapes.) The owner of the property had two mature PawPaw trees. I was forbidden to touch those trees. The owner loved the ugly trees and the fruits. Problem was... They shrub overgrows and you can't get close enough to harvest the fruit. I didn't like them, anyway.

[@shitskadoodle]

Very cool video. I live in ON as well and planted 4 named varieties of paw paw last year. Where these named varieties or seedlings you were eating?

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

These were all various Susquehanna varieties