From the
Tropical Fruit News, Rare Fruit Council International Miami RFCI
from the Pawpaw Foundation
Pawpaws in the
Kitchen
Quality
Quality pawpaws compare favorable to the best pears, peaches, and
mangos of the world. The can vary considerable in size, depending on
the cultivar and on the number of seeds in the fruit, but should
ordinarily weight between five ounces and one pound (150-450 grams).
They should appear plump and round in shape -- the largest, plumpest
pawpaws often resemble mangos. The flesh should be neither too soft nor
too firm. It should have a custardy texture that is smooth, melting,
and luscious. The portion of the fruit occupied by seed should be
small, less than 5 of the total fruit weight. Finally, the flavor of
the fruit should be sweet, fragrant, complex. with a satisfying and
lingering aftertaste.
Ripeness
The main methods of gauging pawpaw ripeness
are through smell and feel.
Ripe pawpaws have a pronounced aroma that can fill an entire room (the
way cantaloupe does) with a fragrance that is both fruity and floral.
When ripe, they are soft, and yield easily to a gentle squeeze like a
ripe avocado or peach. Visual clues of ripeness are somewhat subtle:
the skin turns a lighter shade of green and may show some yellow. In
the late stages of ripeness, the skin develops brown blotches, streaks,
and freckles like a banana. Inside a ripe pawpaw, the flesh will be
yellow, soft and mellow, resembling custard.
Storage
Pawpaw fruits are very perishable. They respire more than apples or
peaches or bananas, and in the process of respiration, they can evolve
quite a bit of moisture, heat, carbon dioxide, and ethylene (the
fruit-ripening hormone). When perfectly ripe, pawpaws will last for
about only two days at room temperature. Refrigerated at 40-45 degrees
F (4-8 degrees C)., the same fruits may last a week. If the fruits are
not quite ripe, they may be refrigerated for about two weeks and then
ripened at room temperature for several days. Storing pawpaws at less
than 40 degrees F (4 degrees C) is not recommended since it often
changes the flavor, producing caramel-like notes.
Uses
The primary use of pawpaw is for fresh eating.
The easiest way is to
cut them in two and scoop out the flesh with a spoon; the large seeds,
scattered throughout the flesh are then simply spit out. On a hike or a
picnic, you can tear an opening into one end and squeeze the flesh out
into your mouth. In cooking, the pawpaw is best suited to recipes that
require little or no heat, as the pawpaw's flavor compounds are very
volatile; prolonged heating or high temperatures destroy their
characteristic flavor. Pawpaw works well in ice cream, sorbet, chiffon
pie and mousse, and combines well with mint. On account of its flavor
resemblance to banana, it may be substituted in recipes such as banana
nut bread.
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