Tastes buds in the mood for something completely different?
How about some chilled pawpaw?
The Gardener of the Owl Valley is holding a Pawpaw tasting next weekend between 1pm and 5pm both Saturday and Sunday. The taste is held at The Gardener of Owl Valley, near Hellam, PA.
Pawpaw on the tree
The pawpaw is a native fruit and the largest of the native tree grown fruits. The nutritional value is very high rivaling oranges and bananas. The texture is similar to banana and the flavor is similar to mango and banana. Since the tree grows wild the U.S., the fruit has played a role in our history. George Washington’s favorite dessert was chilled pawpaw and Lewis and Clark subsisted on pawpaw at times during their journeys.
The fruit has not been widely cultivated in part because it has a very short shelf life. Judy Bono, the Gardener of the Owl Valley, finds pawpaws for her taste from friends who have trees growing along the Susquehanna River and from a pawpaw farm in Maryland.
Judy is preparing pawpaw ice cream, pawpaw salsa and pawpaw bread. The tasting is sponsored by the Susquehanna Heartland Convivium and Slow Food USA.
If you get hooked on pawpaw after tasting it next weekend, you can travel to Ohio and join the “Pawpaws to the People, Ohio Pawpaw festival“. Or perhaps plant a pawpaw tree. The tree has a good look with large dark leaves, and since it’s native, it should thrive in our area.
A Pawpaw tree
3 Comments
Where is the pawpaw tasting event held?
Could you please tell me where the paw paw tasting event will be held on the 19th and 20th? Thankyou.
I’m sorry Mary! The tasting is held at her shop in a magical valley near York PA. If you click the highlighted ” The Gardener of the Owl Valley” title, it will take you to her website and all the info you need will be there. I can tell you, her events are charming. Here is a review of a recent event of at the Gardener of the Owl Valley: http://consumedbyfood.wordpress.com/2009/08/09/slow-food-owl-valley/