We was lucky to receive 3 different varieties. Byron ordering came only 2 varieties, no Allegheny. And last year received all the same variety with no name on the fruits @ramv
I think whatever comments Earthy.com will appreciates all of us very much.
@murky I will seedling all and will keep each of them in 1 gallon containers then you can sell them to local gardeners on FB market .
4 Likes
Nice descriptions! The Shenandoah does sound like it was more ripe than the ones I tried, possibly better that way since it’s so mild. I often compare Susquehanna to bubblegum or juicy fruit gum as well. Love that flavor. Some say it tastes like jackfruit, since jackfruit has a juicy fruit gum type of flavor.
4 Likes
You all, this is my stash in the refrigerator for 3 weeks and they are holding up well. I took 3 out every 4 days to let them ripen more on a counter. This is a shelve life trial and so far it worked out great.
Tony
23 Likes
Looks great! They can last longer in the fridge than most people seem to realize, especially if picked from the tree at the right stage. I had some last 5 weeks in the fridge that were a bit wrinkled but still good.
8 Likes
You’re making me want to plant Susquehanna. I love jackfruit! Pawpaw grafts easy, I hope.
3 Likes
Well Susquehanna is pretty dang good. I wish I knew which other varieties have that strong fruity flavor that it does.
Luckily, pawpaws are indeed pretty easy to graft. The wood is smooth and easy to work with too. I’ve had various methods work well for me.
6 Likes
Just curious, is the peeling necessary and how are you doing it?
What happens if one just freezes ripe pawpaws?
Scott
2 Likes
I picked mine out before I found this place.
Shenandoah because they are the “most popular” variety at the farmer’s market that Neal Peterson would sell his at.
KSU Atwood because it got “high marks” on flavor and for its reported exceptional yield.
Sunflower for its large size and because it’s reported to be somewhat self-fertile.
If I was doing it over, I’d put in something else over the Sunflower. Grafting is always an option.
2 Likes
Yes, agree Shenandoah is very soft growing here for me too. This surprises me as the literature usually just singles out Mango (pawpaw) as really soft.
2 Likes
Peeled the pawpaw then individually wrap with food wrap then placed in a gallon ziplock bag. No freezer burned. They will last for a long time.
3 Likes
Shared the next Susquehanna with my wife. This one was super ripe and falling apart.
She knows nothing about fruit. She thought it came from some tropical country! And said the flavor reminded her of Chico Sapote but without the grittiness. I thought it was less fruity than before and much more caramel like.
They apparently go through many stages of complexity as they ripen. One of the most impressive fruits I’ve tasted.
13 Likes
Went over and tried my Susquehanna on tree a while ago it was rock hard this time it had some give. I let go and it fell off. Let it sit a day opened it up last night. It had a melon with maybe a hint of berry undertone smell to it. Next to the seeds it Hd a custard type texture to it then went to half frozen Ice cream hardness to it. Flavor hard to describe, melon undertone with a hint of something else couldn’t pin it down. Tried to give my wife some wouldn’t touch it said it smelled like death. To me know where did it smell like that. Would I eat it again? Yes just not very many. I can eat several apples at a time paw paw no maybe one a day or every other day. But that could change too first one on tree and had a weird summer it might change with a much better summer and as tree matures.
This is in Vancouver WA
14 Likes
I got (3) lbs of Shenandoah and Susquehanah. They were a little worse for wear from the shipping, but I’m glad I got them to try.
My wife liked them, and I liked them okay. The size, texture, and fruit to seed ratio is outstanding. They are much easier to eat than the seedling fruit I’ve had in the past.
I was a little surprised at how mild the flavor is. It’s pretty subtle and not as fruity as I’m used to thinking of pawpaw as. I don’t know how much of this is due to the varieties and how much was just these ones.
The first one I ate was very soft, it had a big dent from the neighboring fruit. The second one I ate the next day from the fridge, skin was almost completely black, flesh had some discoloration. Both tasted fine.
These have less bitterness in the flesh near the skin than do the seedling fruit I’ve had. Because of that, and the fact that these were soft-ripe, the flesh separted and I ate up to the edge. It was fine for eating, but the aftertaste in my mouth was similar to the unpleasant sensation I get from artificial or non-nutrative sweeteners (or feijoa skin). I don’t like that lingering taste and it affects how other things taste to me after. It’s like something has chemically bonded to my taste buds for hours.
It isn’t an overpowering or strong sensation, but its noticeable enough to be offputting.
I suspect that’s what miracle fruit must be similar to, and I am no longer eager to try it.
I think on the next one I will try cutting the skin off along with an 1/8" buffer of flesh and see if that’s better.
11 Likes
I really enjoyed reading your description of eating pawpaw. They are still new to me and I’ve only sampled a few from the wild and my yard. This is very helpful for tasting experiences.
4 Likes
I believe everyone has a different taste for paw paw. I had a Pennsylvania golden at the HOS fruit tasting event, and I thought it was awful to put it nicely. I told myself if mine tasted anything like that there gone first year. I ate right up to my skin on my home grown Susquehanna and no after taste for me.
5 Likes
I agree that PA Golden is not a great variety, taste-wise. I tasted a few last year and was not impressed by them. I still think they are decent, but really they taste just like your average wild pawpaw. They were a bit bitter as well, which really shouldn’t be acceptable anymore with named variety pawpaws. Too many good varieties now without bitterness. I think the main reason to grow PA Golden is for the fact that it ripens its fruit early, so it does well for zone-pushers. But, there are other early varieties available now, like some of the ones that Cliff England sells (Halvin, KY Champion, Summer Delight). He lists each one of those as being the earliest variety to ripen, so I’m not sure what to make of that… It’s hard to find reliable information on a lot of those newer varieties.
8 Likes
[quote] It was fine for eating, but the aftertaste in my mouth was similar to the unpleasant sensation I get from artificial or non-nutrative sweeteners (or feijoa skin). I don’t like that lingering taste and it affects how other things taste to me after. It’s like something has chemically bonded to my taste buds for hours.
[/quote]
I find this lingering taste unpleasant as well. This is probably why I don’t generally eat more than one at a time. Maybe I should not eat so close to the skin.
However I don’t think this is anything similar to Feijoa. I can easily eat any number of feijoas with skin and there is no lingering unpleasantness. But I’ve only eaten very high quality named variety feijoas so there might be a difference there.
1 Like
I tried one tonight that wasn’t so overripe, and as planned, avoided the part near the skin. I don’t think it made much difference on the aftertaste, but I enjoyed eating it more. Probably in part because I wasn’t worrying about whether I was getting too close to the skin.
I do prefer the ones that hadn’t turned black yet. Too bad most of them arrived riper than I prefer to eat them. I also like my bananas with yellow, not brown, skin.
5 Likes
My friend had planted 13 of varieties of pawpaw in Washington here. He said PA golden is best quality he had tasted so far even with Peterson varieties he had ordered from Earthy . I got mine Pennsylvania Golden still in container but reading your comments made me so confusing. Do you have PA golden or just tasted somewhere else. How do you compare with Shenandoah the one you not recommending? I also ordered Summer Delights and Prince Caspian they will come in very soon.
5 Likes
I think a lot of new fruits we don’t feel like them much after tasting a few first time. But more and more tasting we feel like them better and better and a lot more. I like them a lot especially Allegheny the first pawpaw i had tasted. They’re wonderful. Too bad you didn’t have Allegheny.
I didn’t feel any bitter aftertaste with Peterson pawpaw at all.
4 Likes