Papaya is a fruit you will love once you develop a liking for it. It will not be considered as everyone’s favorite fruit but those who regularly eat it will find it hard to survive breakfast without eating a fresh bowl of cubed papayas. The orange-colored flesh of the papaya is very enticing and it is best served with sweeteners.
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If you are curious on how to pick papaya, read this post. I will be giving some enlightenment on how to select ripe ones and on how to pick from a tree if you have a one in your garden. Given the health benefits mentioned above, it is important that you are knowledgeable about these things.
What is Papaya?
Papaya is believed to have come from Central America and was considered a medicinal fruit by the Mayans. According to them, the seeds, leaves, and flowers of papayas also possess healing powers. What makes the fruit great is the presence of enzyme papain, which also comes with other essential nutrients.
The fruit, also known as Carica Papaya, is famous around the world because of its health benefits. It can aid in better digestion and weight loss. It can prevent infections and relief from toothaches. It also has anti-cancer properties and can prevent heart-related diseases. In addition, eating papayas regularly can improve your overall health.
How To Pick Papaya
Are you ready to learn how to pick a sweet and delicious papaya? We all know that a soft and pretty papaya will make us crave for the fruit but choosing a ripe one may be tricky for some. Don’t worry, as I will be as detailed as possible to give you valuable information about the basics of papaya selection.
For most of us who live far away from where papaya trees grow, it is vital that we know how to choose the right papaya. It might be interesting to know that many of us haven’t tasted a fully ripe papaya and how delicious it is unless we have traveled to a tropical country where it is highly abundant.
Papaya is extremely perishable and transportation might be a bit of a challenge for the fruit. It may become bruised and may suffer from too much cold. To add, papaya may get all wrinkled and become excessively soft for our taste.
- While the papaya slowly ripens on the tree, you will notice stripes of orange along its full length. These stripes are an indication that the ripening process has started. It should be noted that a prematurely picked green papaya will not show the stripes and will transform into orange over a short period of time.
- Another thing to take note of is the stem. A wet stem will tell you that the papaya has been taken from the tree just recently and will indicate freshness. If you are living in a tropical country, you will see a lot of these in the supermarket and fruit stands.
- There are signs on how to tell if the papaya is fully ripe. It should have a smooth skin and must be in the process of turning into yellow. It is very soft to touch but refrain from pressing it too hard as it can cause damage to the fruit. If that’s the papaya’s condition, it is now ripe and can be eaten.
- A firm papaya would require a few more days to let it ripen. You have to choose a papaya that possesses a reddish-orange skin. If the papaya still has yellow patches, leave it for a few more days to let it ripen. To add, it is totally fine if the papaya has black spots on its surface.
- Avoid papayas that have bruised and too soft surfaces. It should also be noted that peak season of papayas is during the fall and summer but you can normally find them throughout the year.
- Once you cut a ripe papaya open, it should have an orange-yellowish flesh and has lots of black seeds at the center. It is important that you consume a ripe papaya while it is still fresh so you can get all the essential nutrients. This is better than eating an unripe papaya which can cause indigestion.
If you have a papaya and wish to consume it for dessert, here’s a video showing a delicious recipe:
How To Pick Papaya From A Tree
If you have a papaya tree in your backyard or garden, here’s how to pick it from the tree:
- You have to monitor the ripeness of the papaya first. A green one should be left for a few more days until it turns orange or yellow.
- Once the papaya possesses more yellow than green, it is an indication that the papaya is in the process of ripening.
- Twist the stem in order to separate the fruit from it. You are going to need a sharp knife to do this if the stem is hard to break.
- Place the papaya on your kitchen counter at room temperature for a day or two to allow it to ripen further. It is best to peel a papaya once it is at least 80% yellow.
- Lightly squeeze the papaya and when it is soft enough, you can now cut it open and peel.
- Scoop the seeds out, slice, and wash the fruit with clean water.
- You may refrigerate it first before you eat it.
- Papaya is best served cold and you can add sweeteners to it. There are also delicious recipes you can find online that can turn your papaya into a sweet dessert.
Conclusion
Selecting a ripe papaya is very easy. You just have to look for the signs in order to choose the right one. I believe I have given you valuable information on how to pick papaya and it’s now up to you to put this into application. You just have to be careful when handling the sharp knife during the picking and slicing of papaya.
