Paw paw trees are a popular part of the backyard landscape. They produce large fruit that grows straight from the trunk and can be eaten raw or cooked. The fruit has a slightly sweet flavor, which some compare to mango but with a texture more like papaya. Paw paws can be prepared in different ways depending on what you plan to do with them, but they’re easiest to prepare by boiling chunks of the fruit in water until they’re soft enough to eat.
Crack the outer shell.
The outer shell of the paw paw nut can be cracked using a hammer, nutcracker, or sharp knife. If you are using a hammer, hold it firmly in your hand and strike the nut with force until it breaks open. If you have access to an electric grinder (ideally one that uses blades instead of teeth), place your paw paws in there and turn on the machine until they’re all pulverized into dust. If not, use whatever sharp object is available at home–a butter knife should work fine!
Remove and discard the seeds.
Once you’ve removed the skin, it’s time to remove and discard the seeds. The seeds are what give paw paws their bitter flavor, so if you want to eat them without getting an upset stomach or bad taste in your mouth, they need to go. To do this, simply take a knife or other sharp object and slice open each fruit in half–it should be easy enough (the flesh will tear away from the skin). Then scoop out all of those pesky little guys with your fingers, being careful not to cut yourself on any sharp edges left behind by peeling off said skin earlier. Once done discarding all of these unwanted bits from inside each fruit’s cavity (and removing any stray bits that might have gotten stuck between teeth), place both halves onto paper towels so as not let them spoil further by overripping under hot sun conditions outdoors!
Cut into chunks and boil.
Now that you’ve gathered your nuts and prepared them for boiling, it’s time to put them in a pot with water. The size of the pot depends on how many paw paws you have. If it’s just one or two, use a small saucepan; if there are more than five or six nuts, use a large stockpot instead. Once you have boiled them for at least 30 minutes (more is better), remove from heat and let cool slightly before transferring into an airtight container such as Tupperware or Ziploc bags–this will help keep them fresh longer! You can add sugar or honey if desired but beware: too much sweetener will make them mushy when eaten later on in life (which isn’t necessarily bad). A little cinnamon powder goes well too with these types of fruits; nutmeg works nicely too if adding any spice at all doesn’t work out well for your palate!
Eat!
You’re ready to eat! Paw paw fruit is delicious and healthy, so you can feel good about eating it. And if you are lucky enough to live in an area where paw paws grow wild, please do not be afraid to take advantage of this great resource.
Conclusion
And that’s it! You can prepare and eat paw paws in a number of ways, but this method is by far the easiest. We hope you’ve enjoyed learning about our native fruit, and we wish you luck on your next trip into the woods for some paw paw picking!
