The Exotic Papaya

The papaya is an exotic tropical fruit native to Central America. Papayas bring an exotic touch to savory dishes and delicious desserts. The flesh of the ripe papaya is bright yellow-orange.

The sweet-tart, musky flavor is similar to that of apricots and ginger, sometimes with a slightly peppery bite. Papayas can also be considered fruity, coffee-flavored cooked carrots.

The green, unripe fruit works well in slaws or cooked as a vegetable. Maturation brings on the sweetness that works so well in desserts.

Fresh papaya fruit is available year-round in most markets, thanks to imported crops. Papaya nectar is available canned and bottled. Some markets also carry chopped fruit in juice in the cold case of the produce department near the juices. The peppery seeds are edible, yet the skin is not.

Selection

Select papayas that are mostly yellow with a bit of green and let them fully ripen at home. When fully ripe, the skin is bright yellow. Unripe fruit will be an overall light yellowish-green, but not completely green.

Ripe fruit should be firm yet yield to gently pressure, feel heavy for its size and have smooth skin with no blemishes. As long as not a result of bruises or cuts, a few black or moldy spots are perfectly okay and will not affect the flavor of the flesh.

The ripe papaya should have a sweet aroma. Avoid fruits that are overly soft unless you intend to puree them and use immediately.

Storage

Ripe papayas should be refrigerated to slow down the ripening process. Papayas will ripen within a few days at room temperature, and even faster if you put them in a paper bag. Once ripe, this fruit will quickly turn to mush if not properly stored.

Place ripe, whole fruit in a plastic bag in the refrigerator, and it should last about a week.

To freeze, peel the papaya, slice lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Cut into pieces and pack into rigid containers or heavy duty plastic freezer bags. Cover with a 30 percent sugar solution (4 cups water to 2 cups sugar) and freeze up to ten months.

The thawed fruit will be soft so you may wish to use it in a partially-thawed state for fresh use applications. It will be fine for cooking purposes, although not quite as firm as fresh. You can also pop the thawed fruit into the blender for a puree or add a bit of water for a juice.

Cooking Tips

Use scooped out papaya halves as a serving dish for fruit, chicken or seafood salads.

Cut papaya in half, sprinkle with Fresh Health lime or key lime for a fresh fruit dessert.

When adding papaya to fruit salads, add it at the last minute so its enzymes will not soften the other fruits.

If you are using the papaya for the fruit alone, peel first before slicing and seeding.

Pureed papaya added to a marinade will not only give a tropical flavor, but also tenderize meat and poultry.

Overripe fruit can be pureed and used as a sauce for ice cream, a topping for pancakes, or stirred into yogurt.

One medium papaya should yield 1 to 1-1/2 cups chopped fruit.

One pound fresh papaya yields about 2 cups sliced.

Complimentary fruits: Mango, passion fruit, kiwifruit, and most berries.

Complimentary herbs: Chives, cilantro, basil, mint, and rosemary.

Try one of our recipes! >>

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Our papayas are hand picked and triple graded.

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