Also, the whole tree full of fruit likes to ripen on a single day, so you’ve gotta do something with all of it right quick.

The pawpaw is the largest edible fruit native to the United States, and the crop typically ripens in the fall. It has a shelf life of just two to three days, which makes selling it harder.

I mean, it is mentioned, but you're right its a challenge. That challenge in mind, maybe it has better potential in local gardens

the reason the pawpaw isn't more widespread is because it doesn't ship or keep well.

I always wondered about that. Thanks for the knowledge.

How about drying it or making it into jam?

And there isn't a lot of money in breeding new varieties of a fruit that isn't already popular. There's massive money in new varierties of apple, because people eat LOTS of apples, so despite the time it takes to grow new trees, that's worth it. Nobody eats Pawpaw, so taking a decade to create a new variety that keeps longer, or doesn't ripen all at once is very unprofitable.