Pawpaw Bread

This is a post I have been anxious to write about. The only pawpaw I knew existed was Papaya. I had a friend of mine contact me to let me know they would have pawpaws ready to be picked soon and so I began collecting pawpaw recipes (papaya) to be ready to start cooking when I picked them up, however, find out that these were different types of pawpaws.

So the research began……

Pawpaws (Asimina Triloba) has a tropical like flavour with a mixture of banana, mango, custard apple and pineapple flavour. When I baked with pawpaws and added melted butter the aroma was just like a mango…yum!!. These were sweet and juicy but I found the only problem was they ripened far too quick.

Pawpaws are indigenous to 26 states across the United States. They have provided delicious and nutritious food for Native Americans, European explorers and settlers, and wild animals. Known as poor mans banana, or American Custard Apple.

Pawpaws are very nutritious fruits. They are high in vitamin C, magnesium, iron, copper, and manganese. They are a good source of potassium and several essential amino acids, and they also contain significant amounts of riboflavin, niacin, calcium, phosphorus, and zinc. Pawpaws contain these nutrients in amounts that are generally about the same as or greater than those found in bananas, apples, or oranges.

NOTE: I would suggest for those who can’t get pawpaws……..Create a mixture of banana, custard apple and mango and I would think this is pretty close to texture and flavour.

Click on the link below for more nutritional information conducted by Kentucky State University.

http://www.pawpaw.kysu.edu/pawpaw/cooking.htm

So the baking begins…..

Peeled the skin which was easy to come off.

We bought a mill that would help extract the pulp from the large seeds…somewhat like the size of custard apple seeds.  

Ingredients

1 c. pawpaw puree
1/3 c. unsalted butter
2/3 c. sugar
2 eggs
1¾ c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. baking soda
¾ tsp. salt

Cream butter, add sugar gradually, and beat until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in pawpaw puree. Sift together remaining dry ingredients and add in four portions, beating smooth each time. Pour batter into a greased, floured loaf pan (8x4x3-inches) and bake in a moderate oven (350o F) for about 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the loaf comes out clean. Cool on rack before slicing. Serve slices buttered or with cream cheese. Makes 1 loaf.