Here’s everything you gotta know to enjoy ripe papaya at home.
When Is a Papaya Ripe?
The skin of the papaya will slowly start to turn from green to yellow as it begins to ripen.
Getty Images
In a super hurry?
Here’s where the papaya-specific instructions come in handy.
Carefully score the skin of the papaya with the knife vertically along the fruit.
The scoring helps the papaya release ethylene, ripen more quickly, and leads to an exceptionally sweet fruit.
Or you’re able to roast them with the skins on and a little bit of brown sugar.
Cubed papaya goes well in shish kebabs with proteins like tuna or chicken.
Many people describe it as tasting like a cross between a cantaloupe and a mango.
However, the sweetness and texture of a papaya depends on how ripe it is.
Unripe papayas can be bitter, so be sure yours is ripe before you cut into it!
Papaya seeds are edible and have a crunchy texture with a slightly peppery taste.
But don’t eat an entire papaya’s worth of seeds in one sitting.
Papaya skin will slowly turn from green to yellow as it ripens.
A truly ripe papaya will smell sweet and soft to the touch.
Buy a ripe papaya if you plan on eating it the same day.
Buy a green papaya and let it ripen at home if you plan on eating later in the week.
Muss C, Mosgoeller W, Endler T.Papaya preparation (Caricol) in digestive disorders.Neuro Endocrinol Lett.
2013;34(1):38-46.
2014;111(3):490-498. doi:10.1017/S0007114513002596
Ucsb science line.
2022;11(4):563.
