Papayas are tropical plants that originate from southern Mexico and Central America. Scientifically, papaya is known as the Carica papaya and belongs to the Carica genus and Caricaceae family of plants.
Papayas aren’t as readily available in all areas as basic fruits like apples, oranges, and bananas are, but the trees may produce fruit all year long.
But, let’s get right to the main question here; do papayas ripen after being picked or not?
Do Papayas Ripen After Being Picked?
Papaya are fruits that continue ripening after being picked. Even more, unlike many fruits, papaya may indeed actually sweeten up in addition to softening up while they continue ripening. All you need to do is set them on the kitchen counter!
How Do You Ripen a Papaya?
Depending on how soon you want to eat your papaya, as well as how ripe it was when you picked or purchased it, papaya ripens well on the kitchen counter, in the pantry, or even in the fridge. If the papaya needs a bit of help ripening, it is one of the many types of fruits that can be ripened faster when placed in a paper bag with an apple or banana.
How to Tell if a Papaya is Ripe?
Papaya that are fully ripe are completely yellow (depending on the species, but for the most part they are yellow). If they are half yellow, they are close to being ripen but still need a few days to a couple of weeks to mature.
Are Unripe Papaya Safe to Eat?
Unripe papaya are harder, have less sugar, and aren’t nearly as tasty as the ripe ones. That said, they are completely safe to eat if you so wish to do so. Be aware, papaya that is green on the outside may not even be green on the inside yet (it could still be white, and rather tasteless).
How Do I Store Unripe Papaya?
Papaya should be stored in a fruit draw, produce bag, or wrapped up in a paper towel in the fridge. Depending on how ripe they are when you put them in the fridge, they may last anywhere from 3 days to 2 weeks.
Hey, I’m Joey. I’ve been cooking since I was a little kid and love everything about it. You can find my writing about food, kitchen appliances (such as blenders) and much more. Thanks for stopping by!
