Last Sunday, I spent part of the day roaming through the woods
with my daughter Sarah and son Mark. We first looked for a place
to me to hang a tree stand after locating acorns on a mountain flat, but the
main event was still to come.
Our main reason for taking to the mountains together was to pick
paw paws, a native fruit that ripens in mid to late September. Paw
paws taste a little like bananas, some folks even call them mountain
bananas. But it is at this time of year that paw paws begin to
turn brown from green meaning they are starting to reach their peak of
flavor.
Paw paws are so prized by wildlife, such as deer, bear, turkeys,
squirrels, and many songbirds, that if we wait until they are fully ripe and
have fallen to the ground, they simply won’t be around to gather.
That’s why I like to go paw pawing when the fruits are just starting to
turn.
Sarah, Mark, and I managed to pick a half bucket or so of paw
paws, not a big haul certainly. But once they fully ripen, and we
can gather some walnuts, we will have the makings for a real taste sensation:
Paw Paw and Walnut Bread.
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