Paw Paws, Ju Jubes, and Other Rare Fruits
The PA Backyard Fruit Growers Association held their annual fruit tasting this past weekend. Once again the event was hosted by White Oak Nursery, an Amish farm and orchard just outside of Lancaster PA.
While the most common fruit at the tasting was the apple, there were a number of rare and unusual types of fruits available for sampling including; paw paws, cactus pears, ju jube fruits (aka Chinese dates), home grown nuts, hardy kiwis, and assorted varieties of persimmons.
These fruits may sound foreign and exotic, but they were all grown and harvested from the landscapes and gardens of the association’s members, or in some cases picked from trees growing wild in the local countryside.
In Search of the Wild Paw Paws
Paw Paws grow wild in Pennsylvania and I took advantage of the opportunity to try this unusual fruit for the first time. They resemble a small, elongated mango and the fruits contain a custard like flesh that is extremely sweet. I was surprised by how much I liked the taste of the Paw Paw fruits. (more…)