The Hoosier Banana

by Jason Kissel, executive director, ACRES Land Trust

Right now in the forests of LAKElife Country, there

is a tropical-tasting fruit beginning to ripen. Its taste is often described as a mixture of banana, mango, papaya, and pineapple—all these tropical flavors blended together in one fruit. It’s a delicacy that far too few people have been exposed to, although the opossums and raccoons sure don’t mind. It’s more for them! The pawpaw tree creates this wonderful fruit that is known by many names: Hoosier banana, poor man’s banana, custard banana, or simply pawpaw.

DESCRIPTION: Pawpaws are small native trees, growing only 15 to 20 feet tall. They have a tropical appearance due to their dark green, oblong leaves that are about a foot in length. The leaves emit a strong odor when crushed. Pawpaws produce root suckers, often creating numerous trees in close proximity, called a ‘pawpaw patch.’ The best way to identify pawpaws is to hike through a forest right now and look for the fruit—nothing else resembles a Hoosier banana. FRUIT: The ‘bananas’ of pawpaws tend to grow in clusters and ripen in August through September. The plump fruit is green and grows 3 to 6 inches long, and normally around 2 to 3 inches in diameter. The fruit contains two rows of large, black, lima bean-shaped seeds. The best way to tell if the bananas are ripe is to squeeze them. If they give slightly, they are ripe. Also, the fruit will often begin developing brown spots as they ripen. The bananas are only prime for two or three days, as they ferment quickly. You can extend their edible life by putting them in the refrigerator for up to a week. To enjoy, simply peel the skin and eat the flesh of the fruit, discarding the seeds. Their tropical taste and custard texture will pleasantly surprise you.

FUN FACTS:

• Hoosier bananas are the largest edible fruits native to America, weighing up to one pound. • Pawpaw leaves provide the exclusive diet of the zebra swallowtail butterfly larvae. • Meriwether Lewis wrote: “September 15, 1806—We landed one time only to let the men gather Pawpaws of which this country abounds, and the men are very fond of.” • Pawpaw’s nutritional value exceeds that of apples, peaches, and grapes in vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and calories.