[The fruit should be ripe. (You will know its ripe when the fruit is slightly soft to the touch and gives off a nice banana/mango-y aroma.) Next, the peel should be removed since it is slightly bitter. Mind the large seeds! For cooking/baking, a good general rule of thumb is to substitute the pawpaw for the banana in many popular recipes.]
[On our links page, look under the "Farmers' Resources" section. There you will find local growers of fruit and nurseries where you can purchase the trees.]
[Because there aren't many growers and due to the expense of processing the organic fruit, pawpaws aren't usually available in grocery stores. Your best bet is in a farmer's market when the fruit is in season (late Summer/early Fall. Remember to wash your fruit well before eating.]
[An apple a day may keep the doctor away, but eating HALF a pawpaw does the same job. The pawpaw is rich in antioxidants and other nutrients.]
[The pawpaw is the largest fruit NATIVE to North America. It grows wild in about 26 eastern states, and was discovered by Hernando DeSoto c.1540 and has been delightfully consumed by Native Americans and other historical Americans like Lewis & Clark. Native Americans even planted pawpaws as they traveled, using them for food along trails and used the bark for baskets and making fish nets. Pioneers ate pawpaws before apples and other fruits came to America. ]
[This is the answer to the question.]