North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Jwlehman@aol.com]

Hello all,

In the category of what to do with all the fruit one raises:

Our pawpaw crop this year is the best ever. Two weeks ago Saturday Barb & I took about 35 pounds of pawpaw to the local Terre Haute (population 55,000) farmers market, open only on Saturdays. We arrived about 9:30 and sold all within about 2 hours at $1.00/lb.  

Yesterday we took nearly 45 pounds and repeated the selling of all. One lady who purchased 8 pounds two weeks ago purchased 16 yesterday. 

We took plastic spoons and gave out tastes. Yesterday I gave out samples of fresh ripe, (soft to the touch and slightly yellow) and over ripe (80% +/- brown) to gage customers preferences.  About one in three preferred the richer taste of the overripe (by my standards) which correlates to a taste test I ran of pulp several years ago.   

It is interesting to give folks their first experience with pawpaw.  Maybe one in 10 say they don't like it.  One lady who didn't, brought her three kids back for them to taste pawpaw. Children are more hesitant to taste new fruits. One of the three said he liked it. The Exec. Chief of Hullman Co. stopped by. He spends 6 months here where they made Clabber Girl Baking Powder and 6 months at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Gave him about three pounds to cook with. This morning he was going to try pawpaw pancakes for a group. He also wants to try the Pawpaw Zabaglione developed by Chief Luska for Dr. Pomper's Pawpaw
Conference a few years back. 

Below is the recipe for anyone who wants it.

Jerry

PAWPAW ZABAGLIONE

This culinary delight was created by Head Chief Michael Luksa of the Yellow Bank Restaurant in Shepherdstown, Maryland for the first Pawpaw Conference in 1994. As Chief Luksa was developing this he kept thinking, "this is too much pawpaw." It was served as the banquet desert and was later declared as the chief's, "pièce de résistance." If you love pawpaws try this recipe.

6 egg yolks            
1/4 C. sugar
1   C. whipping cream
1/4 C. passion fruit liqueur 
1   C. pawpaw puree (remove skin and seeds            before pureeing)

Over a simmering double boiler, combine egg yolks and sugar. Meanwhile, heat the liqueur  
until warm (too much heat will cause it to ignite). Add the warmed liqueur to the egg yolk and sugar mixture. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until thickened. Allow to cool and fold in the pawpaw puree. Whip cream into stiff peaks and fold in the pawpaw and egg yolk mixture. Serve chilled. 

For the banquet Chief Luska garnished with fresh raspberries and a slab of bittersweet chocolate.