When is Papaya Season - Picking & Harvesting Tips!

Early summer is when papayas are commercially harvested. However, if papaya is grown in a warm environment and given the right amount of water, it can produce fruit all year long. Due to their higher sugar content, papayas picked in the first part of the summer have the sweetest flavor.

The fruit papaya is incredibly juicy and sweet. They offer numerous health advantages. Most health advantages can be found in unexpected places.

When Are Papayas in Season?

Papayas begin to bloom in the spring and are ready for picking in the summer and fall. Although papayas are thought to have originated in South America, they are now commercially farmed in Hawaii and California.

When papayas are ripe, their exteriors are green and yellow, and their interiors are orange, yellow, or pinkish. Hawaiian papayas are the most common variety of papaya. This papaya has a sweet, delicious flavor and a pear-like shape. Although they are not as common, you can also find the Mexican variety. Although these papayas are much bigger than those from Hawaii, they do not have the same sweetness.

When is a Papaya Ready to Be Harvested?

Once the skin of the papaya turns from green to yellow, it is time to harvest it. The ideal time to harvest a papaya is when between ½ and ¾ of the fruit has changed color. The papaya will be in peak condition at this time. The portion of a papaya that is closest to the tree ripens last after starting to ripen at the bottom.

The papaya can then be allowed to completely ripen in a paper bag in a cool, dark area of your home. Papayas that are maturing should be closely watched because they are prone to overripeness. When papaya is overripe, it smells fermented or sour and should not be consumed.

Papayas that are completely green and hard to the touch shouldn't be picked because they won't ripen properly. When pressed, a papaya that is ready for picking will give.

Using a pair of scissors or a knife, you can cut the papaya off the tree after deciding which ones are ready for picking. If the papaya is fully ripe when you harvest it, the fruit can be stored for two to three days in the refrigerator in a plastic bag.

Can You Eat Under-Or-Over Ripe Papayas?

You shouldn't eat papayas that are still green. When you cut into a green papaya, you will notice a milky, white liquid oozing out of it. This is one sign that the fruit is not yet ready for consumption. Furthermore, green papayas have a much higher papain content than ripe papayas. Papain is an enzyme that can be used to tenderize meat.

Your esophagus could be harmed by the amount of papain. Green papayas also have a horrible flavor. Therefore, you must cook papaya before eating it if you want to consume it while it is still green.

Papaya that is past its prime can be eaten. However, the texture won't be enjoyable because the fruit will turn very mushy. Papayas that are too ripe can be frozen to make coulis or added to smoothies. Keep in mind that any gelatin will dissolve when using fresh papaya. As a result, fresh papaya cannot be used to make jelly.

When you cut open a papaya, it indicates that it is rotting if it has bad spots, blemishes, or smells fermented. Papaya shouldn't be consumed in this situation.

How Do You Prepare a Papaya Fruit for Eating?

You'll probably want to eat papaya if it is delicious and fresh. To prepare papaya for eating, follow these steps:

• The papaya should first have its ends removed before being split in half lengthwise.
• Papaya's thin skin makes it easy to peel with a vegetable peeler. Use a knife in the event that the papaya is a little overripe.
• The majority of papayas have a cavity that is filled with dark seeds, as you will see. Scoop these out and set them aside for later. In some instances, there are only soft, white seeds and no black seeds.
• The papaya is now ready for serving after being cut up.

The best way to serve papaya is chilled. It is delicious on its own and can also be added to fruit salads or desserts. For use in smoothies, papaya can also be frozen. Papaya pulp works wonders for constipation and stomachaches.

Can You Eat Papaya Seeds?

The papaya fruit contains numerous black seeds that are encased in a delicate, gel-like covering. Papaya seeds are edible even though they have an odd appearance. In addition to being edible, they also offer a variety of health advantages. They are excellent for your overall digestive health as well as a great constipation aid.

Papain, which is found in papaya seeds, can aid in the digestion of meat. However, they do taste bitter and peppery. Papaya seeds can be taken as medicine by putting a spoonful in your mouth and swallowing it. For a peppery crunch, you can also wash them and add them to salads.

Due to their casing, papaya seeds don't keep well. Therefore, it is best to consume them as soon as the papaya is cut open. The papaya seeds can be kept for later use by washing off the outer shell, letting them air dry, and then putting them in a zip-top bag in the refrigerator.

Can You Eat Papaya Skin?

Humans can safely consume papaya skin. Although papaya skin does contain latex, which can cause stomach upset, The skin should therefore not be consumed.

To a compost pile you can add the skin. Alternatively, you can cover a wound with papaya skin to hasten healing. This is an age-old folk remedy. You can also make a homemade face mask with papaya skin to help clear up blemishes and apply it to areas that have been burned by the sun.

The papaya is an excellent fruit. Not only is it ridiculously delicious, but you can use the entire papaya. Perhaps this is why Columbus called it "the fruit of angels."

Conclusion

The best time to purchase Australian papaya and papaw is at the beginning of spring, when above-average growing conditions are predicted to result in a record-breaking supply of delicious new season produce.