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Papayas taste best right off the tree, but most of us don't have that opportunity. Learn how to find ripe store-bought fruit instead to give yourself a taste of the tropics. If you can only find green papayas, you can ripen them at home within a few days.
Steps
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Check the color. The skin of a ripe papaya ranges from yellow to orange-red. A few green spots are fine, especially since the papaya will ripen rapidly at home. [1] X Research source
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Press the skin. Press the papaya gently with your fingertips. If the fruit is ripe, your fingers should sink slightly into it, similar to a ripe avocado. A hard papaya is not ripe. A papaya with mushy spots or shriveled areas is overripe.
- Avoid papayas with soft flesh near the stem end.
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Check the base for mold. Look at the base of the papaya, where the stem was attached. If you see any mold or mildew, do not buy this papaya.
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Smell the base. Look for a papaya that has a faint, sweet scent near the stem. Avoid papayas with no smell, which are unripe. Avoid papayas with an unpleasant or strong smell, which may be old or fermented.
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Store ripe papayas in the refrigerator. Keep ripe papayas in the refrigerator to slow further ripening. While they may last up to a week, they are tastiest when eaten within a day or two.
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Store unripe papayas at room temperature. If your papayas are a little green, finish ripening them at room temperature. They should ripen within a few days. Here are two ways to speed it up and avoid mushy spots:
- Leave them on a flat surface, with space in between fruits. Keep out of direct sun. Rotate occasionally.
- Keep them in a paper bag in a cool, dark location. Optionally, add a banana, apple, or avocado to hasten ripening.
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Ripen completely green papayas. A completely green papaya may not ripen off the tree. But if you have no other options, you can give it a try. Score your green papaya with a sharp knife, drawing three lines from tip to tip. [2] X Research source Make sure the knife penetrates the skin and lightly scores the flesh underneath. Leave at room temperature to ripen within a few days.
- Alternatively, use your green papaya for recipes such as green papaya salad.
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Freeze papaya. If you have more papaya than you know what to do with, freeze the extras. Follow this method exactly to minimize mushiness and flavor loss:
- Peel a ripe papaya. Chop off and discard the stem end.
- Cut in half and remove seeds.
- Slice the papaya and space them out on a baking sheet. Freeze for an hour or two.
- Transfer frozen slices to a sealed container and return to freezer.
- Alternatively, puree the papaya, freeze the liquid in ice cube trays, and transfer to larger container.
Common Questions: Choosing the Best Papaya
What month is papaya in season?
Papaya is in season during the summer and autumn months—specifically in May, June, July, August, and September. [4] X Research source Papaya can still be grown and harvested all year in places like Florida, though. [5] X Research source
Can you eat papaya seeds raw?
Yes, but be sure to eat them in moderation. Raw papaya seeds have a tiny bit of cyanide in them, so it’s not a great idea to eat a lot of them at once. [6] X Trustworthy Source Cleveland Clinic Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals Go to source
How do you prepare papaya for eating?
Slice the papaya lengthwise so you have two halves. Then, remove the seeds with a spoon. Shave off the outer skin with a peeler or knife, and chop up the fruit into smaller chunks so it’s easier to snack on. [7] X Research source
Is it OK to eat overripe papaya?
Yes, but it might taste better prepared in liquid form. Consider blending up the papaya into a sweet soup, or adding it to a smoothie as a refreshing treat. [8] X Research source
How do you ripen a papaya quickly?
Slide your underripe papaya into a brown paper bag and close off the top—within 2 or 3 days, your papaya will be ready to enjoy. If you’re in a rush, slip a fruit into the bag that gives off ethylene gas (like an apple, banana, kiwi, pear, or peach); then, your papaya will ripen in 1-2 days. [9] X Research source
Tips
- There are several common varieties of papaya. Sunrise or Strawberry papayas can be eaten before they fully ripen. Solo papayas may not taste good until completely ripe. The enormous Mexican varieties (such as Maradol) may take longer to ripen, and have a significantly different flavor.Thanks
- Ripe papayas tend to have a few blemishes. Just cut around them before you serve your papaya.Thanks
Warnings
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Thanks
References
- ↑ https://www.whats4eats.com/ingredients/buy-store-use-papaya
- ↑ https://articles.latimes.com/2012/jul/31/news/la-lh-how-to-grow-papaya-20120730
- ↑ https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/british-journal-of-nutrition/article/papaya-carica-papaya-consumption-is-unsafe-in-pregnancy-fact-or-fable-scientific-evaluation-of-a-common-belief-in-some-parts-of-asia-using-a-rat-model/D07C5CC7993552C35D68A5AB770C19EF
- ↑ https://www.seasonalfoodguide.org/veg/papaya/florida
- ↑ https://www.wifss.ucdavis.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Papayas_PDF.pdf
- ↑ https://health.clevelandclinic.org/papaya-seeds-parasite-cleanse
- ↑ https://www.chicagosfoodbank.org/ingredients/papaya/
- ↑ https://uwyoextension.org/uwnutrition/newsletters/papaya-power/
- ↑ https://www.allrecipes.com/how-to-tell-if-papaya-is-ripe-7571550
About This Article
To buy a ripe papaya, look for fruits with yellow or orange-red skins and avoid the green papayas, since those aren't ripe yet. Next, press the outside of each papaya gently with your fingertips to check for hardness. If the fruit is ripe, your fingers should sink slightly into it. Lastly, smell the base to make sure there's a faint, sweet scent near the stem. Avoid unripe papayas with no smell, as well as papayas with an unpleasant or strong smell, since those are probably overripe! If you want to learn how to store your papaya at home, keep reading the article!
Reader Success Stories
- "I have never bought a papaya from the store. This article let me be able to buy one with confidence. All the tips were so helpful that I was able to choose one and eat it the same day I brought it home." ..." more
