Wild Pawpaw Buttermilk Pie

We’ve talked about pawpaws here before, and this is the time of year to enjoy them. Although it’s been a strange weather season this year, I picked a ripe batch of pawpaws the other day.

The nation’s largest native fruit, the pawpaw taste tropical, like a mix of mango and banana, but grows throughout the midwest and south. Images by author

I don’t know if the odd weather, which was cool and wet early but hot and dry recently, has anything to do with it or not, but my personal findings, and what I’ve heard from other pawpaw foragers in my area, is that this year’s fruit was on the small side, but exceptionally sweet and flavorful. I guess it’s all about balance. If you’re lucky enough to find some pawpaws of your own this year, try them in this delicious pie.

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This recipe is for a single pie, but it’s easily doubled for two if you have that much pawpaw pulp after processing.

The recipe is for one pie, but the photos show a double recipe for two, since I had about that much pawpaw pulp after I removed the skin and seeds, and since I was taking them to a family reunion full of curious eaters interested in trying a fruit many had never even seen before. Find out an easy trick for removing the seeds in this recipe.

Run your skinless pawpaw pulp and seeds through a food processor or stand mixer with a plastic dough hook to help with seed removal.

Bake the empty pie crust according to package instructions. In a large bowl, mix the sugar, flour, and salt. In another bowl, blend the eggs, melted butter, bourbon, lemon juice, and buttermilk. Slowly add the wet ingredients into the dry, stirring as you go.

Add the wet ingredients, except for the the pawpaw pulp, to the dry and mix well.

Fold in the pawpaw pulp.

After mixing the wet and dry ingredients, fold in the pawpaw pulp.

Pour the mixture into the baked and cooled pie crust. I fill the crust to the top, then place the pie on a sheet pan to bake to catch any filling that might spill over the edge of the crust as the pie bakes.

Pour the mixture into pre-baked pie shells.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until the surface is golden brown and the pie is set, but still jiggles slightly in the center when shaken. Allow the pie to cool for two hours, then refrigerate.

Allow the pie to cool before slicing.

Serve room temperature or cold.

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