# Anyone know what these are? (A trip down Memory lane)



## Tenbears (May 15, 2012)

I set out on a stroll down the trail that dissects my farm. A whitetail deer sprang from it's bed just as I entered the woods and bounded with high jumps off toward the swamp along the river bottom. Henry the hawk screeched sharply from the atop of the 5 century old pignut hickory that stands watch over my lower pasture. While fox squirrels darted for cover on the forest floor. A canvas of color lay strewn at my feet from the fallen autumn leaves and the smell of the season was full in the air. Off in the distance the Canada geese honked, the splashing of water and fluttering of wings signaled the anticipation of the migration that would leave my beaver ponds empty. As I headed up the hill to the place I knew held the treasure I had come for. I recalled the time we first found this tree "anyone know what these are?" my young son said, holding a cluster of fruit in his hand. The tree only produces fruit sporadically, but this year it is loaded. With buckets in hand I gathered the bounty then headed on down the trail that looped it's way back to my humble abode. Sun shining through the now broken canopy left golden patches on the path resembling paver from the yellow brick road. My mind wandered to a time when I walked these trails hand in hand with my long gone beloved. As I came to the oddly crooked bench tree where she had a photographer take the last portraits of her and our son I though of how good this old world has been and how much pleasure this farm had brought me. 
With bounty in hand I headed down the hill to the old bridge sadly in need of repair, that crosses the small creek just before entering my Tansy field. The now dry remains of the beautiful purple/Blue flowers crackled beneath my feet as I took a short cut across the field. Then up the hill to the house. I wondered how many more batches of fruit I will see from the old tree which only significantly produces evert 3 to 5 years. This may be my last batch who knows which one of us will give out first.
I will peal seed and bag the fruit before adding it to a must of caramelized honey to make a Bochetomel. In all my years of mead making this will only be the second batch. the last was in 1988 and it was as smooth as silk and rich as a New York cheese cake. The buttery caramel nuances lingered softly on ones pallet only to fade away with a subtle sweetness. Can't wait to taste it again. 
All I need now is a name for it.


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## Downeast75 (Aug 6, 2015)

Pawpaw tree


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## allniter (Aug 22, 2011)

PAW PAW---TASTE LIKE A BANANA


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## Riverderwent (May 23, 2013)

Wish I lived closer so I could help repair that bridge. I read that twice. I plan to read it more.


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## FlowerPlanter (Aug 3, 2011)

LOL I picture Tenbears walking along and say "what that?" I think I will make mead out of it.


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## PaulT (Sep 2, 2015)

:applause: Great Story!


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## gww (Feb 14, 2015)

I found a paw paw loaded with fruit last year right at the edge of where my yard meats the woods. Alass, nothing there this year.
Cheers
gww
Ps lived here 20 years and didn't notice the trees till last year.


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## johnbeejohn (Jun 30, 2013)

Love paw paws makes a good bread/ cake


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## e-spice (Sep 21, 2013)

Thanks for sharing that story Tenbears! My wife has been wanting to taste a paw paw but I wasn't able to find any for her this year. I've heard they only produce sporadically so maybe next year.


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## johnbeejohn (Jun 30, 2013)

Try some paw paw pancakes they are really good


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## Tenbears (May 15, 2012)

e-spice said:


> Thanks for sharing that story Tenbears! My wife has been wanting to taste a paw paw but I wasn't able to find any for her this year. I've heard they only produce sporadically so maybe next year.


 I will make the trek out to the old tree again. Although I seriously doubt there are any green enough to make the trip. Should I be lucky enough to find a few that will arrive at the peek of freshness. I will gladly send them your way. :gh:


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## Tenbears (May 15, 2012)

johnbeejohn said:


> Try some paw paw pancakes they are really good


too late for that. They are already pealed seeded, and in a bucket becoming something more delicious!


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## ColoradoRaptor (Oct 13, 2016)

Tenbears said:


> too late for that. They are already pealed seeded, and in a bucket becoming something more delicious!


:thumbsup:


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## Tenbears (May 15, 2012)

My Pawpaw melomel now sits in two 6.5 gallon carboys with a 3 gallon on the side. I will use this to top p as I rack and clear the melomel. 

I decided to make this a Bochetomel to try to convey the smooth texture of ripe pawpaw into the mead. For this I selected a nice dark buckwheat honey. I figured I would need somewhere around 15 pounds of fermentable honey to achieve my desired ABV Balancing the caramelized honey always seem to fall to guess work for me, As a man of science I tend to be somewhat uncomfortable with this. Too much an the mead falls heavy, too little and tor toffee notes are lost. (if someone knows a reliable rule of thumb I would really appreciate it.) I figured some ware around 10% of the total sugar would be close. So I took 2 pounds of honey. (not all will become in-fermentable) and places it in a skillet on medium heat stirring constantly until it became a thick stringy goo. before it cooled I added a couple cups of water to thin it out. 
Placing the pealed seeded fruit in a blender with some water to make a creamy slurry I processed al of the nearly 30 pounds of pulp and poured into fruit bags. ( (I have found this to greatly precipitate the break down of pawpaws)
All the fixins went into my large fermenter and the ferment was started. In 5 days the specific gravety had reached the 50% mark so I added a second dose of yeast nutrients. In 3 more days I removed the fruit bags which by now were reduced to 20% their original volume. When the SG hit the 1.010 mark I racked into the aforementioned carboys. It has a way to go. But the aromatics coming from this blend is just great. Going to be tough waiting for the outcome on this one :no:


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## ColoradoRaptor (Oct 13, 2016)

Tenbears said:


> My Pawpaw melomel now sits in two 6.5 gallon carboys with a 3 gallon on the side. I will use this to top p as I rack and clear the melomel.
> 
> I decided to make this a Bochetomel to try to convey the smooth texture of ripe pawpaw into the mead. For this I selected a nice dark buckwheat honey. I figured I would need somewhere around 15 pounds of fermentable honey to achieve my desired ABV Balancing the caramelized honey always seem to fall to guess work for me, As a man of science I tend to be somewhat uncomfortable with this. Too much an the mead falls heavy, too little and tor toffee notes are lost. (if someone knows a reliable rule of thumb I would really appreciate it.) I figured some ware around 10% of the total sugar would be close. So I took 2 pounds of honey. (not all will become in-fermentable) and places it in a skillet on medium heat stirring constantly until it became a thick stringy goo. before it cooled I added a couple cups of water to thin it out.
> Placing the pealed seeded fruit in a blender with some water to make a creamy slurry I processed al of the nearly 30 pounds of pulp and poured into fruit bags. ( (I have found this to greatly precipitate the break down of pawpaws)
> All the fixins went into my large fermenter and the ferment was started. In 5 days the specific gravety had reached the 50% mark so I added a second dose of yeast nutrients. In 3 more days I removed the fruit bags which by now were reduced to 20% their original volume. When the SG hit the 1.010 mark I racked into the aforementioned carboys. It has a way to go. But the aromatics coming from this blend is just great. Going to be tough waiting for the outcome on this one :no:


This sounds really good..... opcorn:


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