Sunday, September 6, 2015

Paw-Paw ~ The Indiana Banana


Paw-paws ripening on tree
by Ramona K. Cecil

Though I was raised in rural Indiana, I remember hunting for paw-paws only once in my life. I was very young and my sketchy memory of the event consists of hunting in the woods in early autumn with my mother and siblings for something that looked like small, rotten bananas.

 

What are paw-paws, you might ask? The Asimina triloba aka paw-paw, Indiana banana, custard apple, or poor man’s banana is a fruit that grows wild on trees which are found mainly along wooded streams in the Appalachian region. Since the paw-paw is indigenous to 26 states from the Gulf Coast up to the Great Lakes, I’m not quite sure why it is most often associated with Indiana, though I did find one “Kentucky banana” reference and one “West Virginia banana” reference. Maybe folks in the other 25 states have better sense than to tromp around in the woods in September looking for something that resembles rotten bananas. Or, more likely, an early Hoosier was the first to attach a state moniker to the paw-paw and it stuck.
Purple area indicates where paw-paws grow naturally
Green area indicates where paw-paws can be grown

 

Those musings aside, paw-paws are said to be quite tasty as well as  rich in nutritional value; packed with tons of protein, antioxidants, vitamins A and C, as well as several minerals.

 

Inside flesh of the paw-paw
So why is the paw-paw not better known? Several things could account for that, not the least being a bad image. Its odd bean-like shape and mottled skin that blackens as it ripens doesn’t look as appetizing as a bright yellow banana or a shiny red apple. But if one can get past the fruit’s appearance, the soft orange custard-like flesh is tasty and sweet. That the fruit has such short shelf-life; two or three days at room temperature doesn’t help its popularity, though it will last a week in refrigeration and the pulp can be frozen for later use. Another strike against the paw-paw is the blossoms’ unpleasant scent, which smells like rotting meat and tends to discourage bees and other insects from pollinating it, making the paw-paw somewhat scarce. One insect that does love the tree is the zebra swallowtail butterfly; its larvae feed on the leaves.

Paw-paw flower
Zebra swallowtail butterfly on a paw-paw leaf








 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Another black mark on the paw-paw tree is an incident that happened during the infamous feud between the Hatfield and McCoy families of Kentucky and West Virginia. Three of the McCoy boys got into an argument with Ellison Hatfield and killed him. In retaliation, the Hatfield clan tied the three McCoy boys to a paw-paw tree and shot them.

 



















Its negatives not withstanding, the humble Indiana banana has historically enjoyed some positive public relations. The paw-paw was a favorite food of Native Americans and early white settlers. Two past presidents and founding fathers; George Washington and Thomas Jefferson favored the fruit and Thomas Jefferson cultivated paw-paw trees at Monticello. Someone even wrote a song about the paw-paw which goes:

 

“Where, oh where is pretty little Susie?                              
Where, oh where is pretty little Susie?
Where, oh where is pretty little Susie?
Way down yonder in the paw-paw patch.

Come on, boys, let’s go find her,
Come on, boys, let’s go find her,
Come on, boys, let’s go find her,
Way down yonder in the paw-paw patch.

Pickin’ up paw-paws, puttin’ ‘em in her pockets,
Pickin’ up paw-paws, puttin’ ‘em in her pockets,
Pickin’ up paw-paws, puttin’ ‘em in her pockets,
Way down yonder in the paw-paw patch.

—The Paw Paw Patch.”

 

I found several recipes that feature paw-paws including recipes for pies, custards, cookies, cakes and quick breads.

  


Paw-paw bread
Paw-paw sorbet














Do I plan to traipse around in the woods this September and hunt for paw-paws? I doubt it. However, if I happen on some at a farmer’s market, I just might be tempted to give them a try.

 

Do you have a memory or family story about paw-paws? I’d love to hear it!







Ramona K. Cecil is a poet and award-winning author of historical fiction for the Christian market. A proud Hoosier, she often sets her stories in her home state of Indiana.


 


Check out her website at www.ramonakcecil.com



 

10 comments:

  1. Thank you, Ramona, for your interesting post about paw paw's. I didn't know a thing about them but had heard that song from way back and did't know what a paw paw was. Now I do, thanks to you!

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    1. Hi, Melanie! Glad you enjoyed the post. I learned several things myself while researching this topic.

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  2. I'd never heard of them before, but the outside reminds me a little of milkweed, which I loved finding near a canal as a child.

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    1. Hi, Rebecca! I remember playing with milkweed pods as a child in rural Indiana, and they do resemble paw-paws. As kids, we found all kinds of uses for the cotton-like fibers inside the pods. Never ate any, though. :)

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  3. Oh my, I remember singing that song in elementary school. We even did a little dance with it for a school program one time. It was one of our fun play-ground songs. I had no idea what a paw paw was, but I liked singing the song. This is the first time I've ever read about they are and how they are used. Wish I had known back then...70 years ago.

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    1. Hi, Martha! I remember singing that song, too. Glad I was able to shed some light on your long-standing paw-paw question. :-)

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  4. I'm thinking I'm a disgrace to my grandpa who loved to identify trees because we might have pawpaws growing at our old house, and I didn't even realize it! I'll be checking. And I think I remember that song and another one about paw-paws.

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    1. Hi Danielle! Paw-paws seem to grow near streams or in swampy areas, many of which, we have in Indiana. Hope you find a paw-paw tree on your family's property! Wouldn't that be fun? :-)

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  5. I want to correct a mistake about Thomas Jefferson's home; should be Monticello, not Mount Vernon, which is, of course, George Washington's historic home. Just to set the record straight. :-)

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  6. I grew up in Nigeria as an MK and we ate pawpaw but it was a large fruit with same colors you show and same seeds but the real name is papaya. Interesting. sm wileygreen1(at)yahoo(dot)com

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