September is the peak month for the largest native fruit in the United States, and many people haven’t even heard of them, let alone tasted it’s goodness. It’s paw paw season. Paw paws? What the heck is that, you may ask. I’m very familiar with them, because my mom loved them and made sure there were two trees in our yard for as long as I can remember. They taste…different.. kind of like a cross between a banana and a mango, with a little hint of vanilla and citrus, maybe a little caramel thrown in.
The only place that actually grows them around here is Chestnut Charley’s in Lawrence, but, you won’t find them in any grocery stores because their shelf life is extremely short. You can find them at some area farmers markets, but they don’t last long, because people that know about them, jump on them fast at market. You can sometimes find them growing in the wild in forested areas near rivers. Most people, like my mom, used to eat them as is, but, there are some pretty good pawpaw recipes out there for ice cream and jellies and jams. If you see them at market try them. You might just become a pawpaw fan!
