Pawpaws are a regional delicacy beloved by foragers and others blessed to have easy access to the deciduous fruit trees. Known as the custard apple or poor man’s banana, the greenish-yellow, kidney-shaped fruit tastes like a mix of mango and banana and can be found from the Great Lakes down to parts of the Florida Panhandle. They date to at least the 16th century and were often the only fresh fruit available to pioneers in the mid-Atlantic and Midwest states.
One reason it can be hard to find pawpaws is they don’t travel well; they bruise easily and have a shelf life of just three to five days. They also have a reputation for being messy. The fruit is filled with almond-shaped seeds, and it takes work to separate them from the custardy flesh. Sara Bir, author of the just-released “The Pocket Pawpaw Cookbook” (Belt Publishing, $17), recommends using a food mill, but I think it’s easier to use your hands.
On the plus side: Pawpaw pulp freezes well in a zip-close bag for up to six months. It can be used to sweeten everything from salsa, ice cream and pudding to pies, cookies, quick breads and jams. You can even find recipes online for pawpaw cocktails.
This recipe combines pawpaw pulp (flesh with seeds removed) with mashed banana, warm spices, garlic and vinegar in a sweet and spicy ketchup that also makes a great barbecue sauce.
I am fortunate to have neighbors who love to gift the fruit from multiple pawpaw trees in their front yard. (They also graciously offered to dig up a seedling to plant in my own yard.) You can sometimes find them at farmers markets.