North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Eric Farnsworth <tropicofkansas@sbcglobal.net>]

Yes, I have had similar experiences at the Orchard at Kentucky State University in Frankfort, and elsewhere. But before I go any further, I should note that all of those trees at Wye had been selected for the quality of their fruit. And if you are anything like me, you probably picked up fruits that looked good to begin with.

That said, I am convinced that if you start with a fairly decent tree, the ripeness and handling of the fruit makes more of a difference than the parentage. A perfectly ripe fruit pulled from a (not terrible) tree the minute before it was going to drop on its own, and eaten immediately (on a warm September afternoon) will just about always be better than the best fruit from the best tree - if that fruit has been picked too early, or ripened off the tree, or refrigerated, or bruised. All of which things are going to happen in commercial

fresh paw paw fruit operations, once we start seeing them.
-Eric Farnsworth

I once walked with fellow fruit-nut friend Stuart Wilson through a pawpaw 
experimental seedling orchard at the Wye Station on the eastern shore of 
Maryland.  We sampled fallen fruit.  We couldn't tell ANY difference in
taste/quality 
of the flesh from tree to tree.  I admit though, that our taste buds were
saturated 
quickly, and we didn't use anything to "clear our palates"
between trees.