Including papaya in your diet is extremely beneficial for your health. From children to adults, this fruit is good for the liver, increases immunity and is high in antioxidants which aid against heart ailments and fighting infections. People also use the pulp of this fruit in their beauty routine to hydrate and add glow to dry skin. It is important to buy papaya which is sweet instead of tasteless one. So how would you identify sweet papaya?
Instead of ordering fruits online, the best way to make sure you are getting sweet and ripe ones is by visiting the local market yourself to assess not just the quality but also the freshness. If you do not know how to select fruits, or are new to cooking, here are some simple tips and tricks for you to follow before buying papaya.
Here are a few tips and tricks to help you out.
Weight: While buying papaya- whether a green or a yellow one, from the market, hold it in your hands. Make sure it is not too heavy. Heaviness indicates that the fruit has a thick and hard peel and will not taste very good.
Smell: The fruity aroma of papaya is always refreshing. When the fruit is ripe, it will most definitely taste sweet. Make sure while buying that the sweet-smelling fruit does not have white or green spots visible. These spots are fungi which can have a negative impact on your health and will taste bad.
Colour: Another way to determine if the papaya is ripe or not is to examine the colour. If the skin is green, it is raw. As it ripens, its skin turns green to yellow or orangish colour. The yellow and orangish colour means the fruit is ripe and ready to eat.
Texture: You can also check the texture before buying this healthy fruit. Raw papaya has hard skin that is tough and will not split into two halves. In contrast, ripened papaya is soft and has a squishy texture when you press it. Hence, before the purchase, make sure to feel the texture.
Storage: Keep ripening papaya at room temperature and put it in the fridge as it ripens. This will taste cool and sweet and be a perfect way to beat the summer heat.
