Papayas are delicious low-cal, sweet-tasting fruits. Their skin ranges in color from green to a lovely yellow; you know when they’re ready when their hue fades to about 80% yellow (they can then be refrigerated once ready).
For optimal papaya selection, light scores should be made vertically with a sharp paring knife to mark its skin vertically. A ripe papaya should have an aromatic sweetness as well as feel heavy for its size.
Look for a yellow or orange color
Papayas come in various hues, and their hue serves as an indicator as to whether they’re ready. Yellow or orange colored ones indicate full ripeness while green ones indicate unripeness.
Papayas can be tested for ripeness by gently pressing them with your thumb, much like testing an avocado or peach. A properly ripened papaya should yield to pressure while giving slightly, like those found on avocados and peaches. Ripe papayas should also boast sweet fruity smells; otherwise they could have gone off at a premature age, leaving bruises or bad spots that suggest otherwise.
When selecting papayas for eating, strive for one with brightly colored flesh that’s firm to the touch and has smooth, uniform green skin – this way you avoid picking overripe or mushy fruit!
If you want a particular shade of papaya, the best place to purchase it would be a farmer’s market or supermarket that specializes in tropical fruits and vegetables. Here you will be sure to get high-quality papayas at an affordable price.
Though green papayas can still be eaten, they don’t taste nearly as delicious or are as nutritional. You can ripen them at room temperature by placing them in a paper bag and checking daily until your desired shade of fruit has formed. Adding a ripe banana or apple may speed up this process as they release natural ethylene gas that acts as a natural ripening agent.
Use a knife to score vertical lines along the skin of a green papaya to hasten its ripening process; just be careful that your score only touches on its skin rather than any flesh underneath, otherwise the papaya could rot before reaching peak maturity and cannibalism!
Ripped papaya seeds and pulp are delicious, and can be enjoyed raw or cooked in various forms like smoothies and juices. Meanwhile, their peel is often used to add mild peppery notes to soups and stews or ground up into a pepper grinder as an alternative source of peppercorns.
Smell it
Papaya is an immensely popular tropical fruit, beloved for its sweet-tasting orange flesh that tastes somewhere between melons and mangos, with an almost creamy mouth feel. You’ll often find papaya on buffet tables or breakfast plates, topping shaved ice dishes or adding exotic flair to smoothies as an exotic twist.
Aroma is a key factor when selecting papayas; when they smell sweet and musky, they are ready to eat. Scent is created by both taste sensation and volatile compounds produced during ripening – although most likely aroma is predominant over taste sensation in your mouth. The nose can detect both simultaneously.
An ideal papaya should possess an invigorating, sweet fragrance that’s neither too strong nor too weak, to indicate its maturity. An unpleasant or strong odor could indicate it has turned bad; to determine its ripeness more accurately, sniff near its base where its stem was attached – sweet aroma should come through strongly!
Papayas tend to be sweetest when fully ripe and served, when cut open and served. Their flesh should have an irresistibly musky sweetness with firm texture when pressed; and should possess an orange hue. If you can’t wait for one at home to ripen itself, look for yellow or orange ones at stores as these might need time in the refrigerator before becoming edible; green ones could spoil much quicker!
If you want your papaya right away, place it into a paper bag along with an apple, banana or another ethylene-producing fruit to speed up its ripening. Additionally, the bag protects it from oxidation and ensures maximum freshness – perfect if you’re shopping at local markets that often offer underripe fruit! You could use this trick on any papaya you purchase at market; but especially helpful for getting more ripe, sweeter fruit than otherwise available.
Touch it
Papayas are large tree-like plants with hollow stems that produce leaves and fruit. Since these hermaphrodite plants self-pollinate without male plants nearby, harvesting papayas requires patience and the ideal climate. You should expect harvesting of papaya fruit about six to eight weeks post planting; once ready to eat raw or used in various dishes.
Before choosing a papaya, look for vibrant yellow or orange colors with soft textures. Look out for bruises or blemishes; skin should yield slightly to gentle pressure like in an avocado; if a papaya feels hard and unyielding it is likely overripe.
Once you have selected an ideal papaya, be sure to store it properly to maintain its freshness. An improperly stored papaya may quickly go rotten; therefore it should be placed in its own container with paper bags covering them to help contain its natural ethylene gas production.
Overripe papayas may have an unappetizing aroma, but you can still make use of them by adding them to refreshing smoothies or baking goods such as muffins. Just be careful when eating overripe papayas since their acidity could irritate sensitive stomachs.
As always, nothing beats tasting it for yourself when it comes to testing papaya ripeness! But if you can’t make it near a papaya tree and want to give this tropical treat a try anyway, stores across the country sell perfectly ripe papayas – follow these easy steps and find yourself one with sweet, tropical flavor!
Taste it
When purchasing papaya, be sure to test its firmness by pressing a finger against its skin, just as with an avocado. A ripe papaya should yield to gentle pressure; overripe ones or those featuring bruises indicate overripeness that is no longer good to consume; smooth-skinned and unbruised papayas should be ready for immediate consumption.
If a papaya is unripe, place it in the refrigerator and allow it to ripen for up to two days in order to preserve its crisp texture and sweet taste. To speed up this process, score its outside with a paring knife before refrigerating; this will release ethylene gas that promotes rapid ripening.
Once ripe, papaya can be enjoyed raw or processed into juices and smoothies for drink or use as ingredients in curries and other recipes.
To enjoy fresh papaya, slice it lengthwise in half lengthwise and remove the seeds with a spoon. Although you can consume them, some may prefer not to due to bitter or spicy tastes they can impart. Once done, cut up into slices or cubes and enjoy as part of salad, soup or dessert dishes!
Fresh papaya can often be found at international food markets or grocery store produce sections. Seasonal sales usually occur during the summer and fall. If fresh varieties cannot be found, frozen options can also be available. To freeze a papaya, wash and peel it before cutting into small 1 inch (2.54 cm) cubes and placing them on a baking sheet in one layer. Freeze overnight until frozen solid before moving it to a sealable plastic bag or container for long-term storage. All year-round you can enjoy papaya! And to ensure its safe production and storage, supermarkets often carry an assortment of bottled papaya products labeled with “Food Safety Awarded” or bearing the green stamp to verify its safety.