The papaya or papaya is the fruit namesake tree, belonging to the family Caricacee. Papaya is a plant native to Central America, cultivated today in numerous countries, including Asia and Africa.
The fruit of the papaya has a somewhat elongated shape and large dimensions, it is similar to a melon, it can reach up to 9 kg, although those marketed, for practical reasons, are generally around 500 gr. The peel is usually green-yellow, while the pulp is yellow-orange.
Papaya is consumed as fresh or dried fruit, but it is also a fundamental ingredient for many typical preparations, such as atchara and lumpia. Its pulp is also excellent to accompany meat, especially pork. Papaya is rich in potassium, fiber, vitamin A and vitamin C.
How to choose papaya
Papaya begins to ripen when it is slightly soft to the touch, so if you have to eat it immediately you should buy it already ripe, otherwise it is better to choose a more unripe one, which will keep longer.In order to consume papaya it is necessary to clean it from the peel and seeds. Although this exotic fruit is not found very often on our tables and its cleaning may seem difficult, it is actually very simple.
How to clean and cut papaya
Step: 1
To clean and cut the papaya it is first necessary to peel it. Given the thin thickness of the peel that covers it, this operation is very simple. Wash the papaya thoroughly and dry it, proceed gently to avoid the risk of bruising it.
Step: 2
Place the papaya on a cutting board and with a sharp knife cut the top cap and the peel, consider that the peel is thin, so be careful not to cut the pulp too.
Step: 3
At this point, cut the fruit in half, always proceeding with a sharp knife.
Step: 4
With a spoon remove the seeds that will be found in the two halves of the fruit.
Step: 5
If there are any remaining seed or stringy residues you can rinse the papaya under running water.
Step: 6
Now you can proceed according to the size you need to get, if you want to use papaya in a fruit salad or to complete a dish, cut the two halves in half again and cut into wedges again
To serve
Your papaya is ready to be spoiled or stored.
How to store papaya
If you have to store papaya, it is preferable not to clean the fruit. Otherwise, the fruit already cleaned and cut can be stored in a closed container, in the refrigerator, for no more than 12 hours.
