I'd be glad to trade with you when the paw paws are ripe. I'll be making an effort to harvest alot this year, so if you ask again or remember my name I'll be definately have some available. My paw paws are all wild. Also, read up on planting them from seed.

My main concern though is that Paw Paws absolutely do not ship well or last long once harvested. That's why you don't see them in the grocery store. They refuse to keep. Maybe I could ship them frozen?

Hello,
I will try and trade with you this year again. You've never told me how did you like the pawpaws I sent you? I selected some of the large pawpaws, such as Mango and Sunflower.

Bass

forager,
If you pick 'em just before they begin to soften and package 'em carefully, they'll survive a UPS trip just fine. I've sent some to a buddy in NV, and they got there in good condition.
I wouldn't freeze 'em for shipment.

Art,
Email me in mid-September and remind me - there should be a good crop of 'em here this year; if I can find 'em, I'll be glad to send some your way. Loved those dates you sent a year or two back.

I've ordered from integration acres for the past couple years (and will have to again this year after my one tree with fruit was damaged by squirrels getting to either the forming fruit or the mulberry nearby).

~Chills

wow, thanks for the good response y'all. I'd be happy to trade again and also trade with a couple of folks I haven't traded with before. I'd love to get some from maybe 5 different places. Cultivars are great and wild is even better.
Lessons learned from the past. = Quite right that they have to be the ones that are just barely starting to turn soft. If they are soft already they will be sour and a bucket of mush by the time get here. -sigh- Also, I would agree that freezing will not help. One person tried that and it did not turn out pretty. Also, avoid plastic bags as that causes them to heat up more and ripen faster.
Of the ones I have gotten so far I have been able to get a bite here and there. the ones that were not too ripe to start with were the ones that came through well.
More about actual shipping. I think that USPS priority shipping is a good way to go. Its a flat rate for the box, about $9.00, and I'd be glad to pay the shipping. Also last year the UPS guy put the box in my garage and it was 2 days before I found it. 2 days in our heat... it wasn't pretty. oh my. So, I think USPS priority box and also ship it on Monday or Tuesday so that it doesn't wind up sitting at the post office over the weekend.
I know that's a little extra trouble but if you could that would be great!
In trade I would recomend my Barhee (also spelled Barhi) when they are just turned ripe. At that stage they will be so soft that they will smush together into a sort of brick or cake, but they are so soft and sweet, they even have a little bit of syrup at that stage (called dibs). You could never get dates that yummy in a store, and they also will need to ship fast so I'll ship them USPS priority too. Or I could wait a couple more weeks until they dry more like the dates you may be used to seeing and they will keep they shape more. But in my opinion, the really soft ones are worth it. Also I have medjools, which are the really big ones.
One more thing. For some reason when people use the garden forum email I can't seem to reply, it always comes back undeliverable, so here is my email address
softmentor@netzero.com
please include a good email address in your note to me so I can reply. The automatic reply button doesn't work for some reason.
Thanks!
Arthur
wild_forager - please send me your email address?
bonsaist - I believe yours were the ones that wound up in the garage (heavy sigh). I think I have the UPS guy trained now but USPS might work better (to my PO box where there is air conditioning) I'd love to try again. would you also send me your email address again please?
lucky_p - you too, email address please? (seems I lost most my email address book when I changed to Netzero)

Barhi dates, mmmmmmmmmmmmm.
My grandfather had a Barhi tree at his house in Indio when I was growing up, and there's nothing like a Barhi date, soft and warm right off the tree. Those cold hard things at the supermarket aren't even a pale shadow in flavor. Do you have a store?

Carla in Sac

Arthur, I've sent you mine through USPS flat rate box. In fact you told me you weren't aware of the flat rate box before.

Bass

Bass, Yes, thats right, I do remember that now. (thumps thick skull) In fact I learned about the USPS box from you, and the pawpaw you sent were fantastic! I would love to trade again.

Carla - really? I'm curious what was your grandfather's name? I'm sort of a date culture history nut and I love collecting stories about dates and the people who have grown them and love them. And thanks for the wonderful praise of Barhee, I could not have said it better myself!

Also, anyone who wants some out right or who has something else to trade, (dried fruit? nuts? something else?) just send me an email