Facts about Papayas
The papaya is the name for the papaya plant or fruit. It is said to have come from Mexico and Central American countries. The plant is a big, woody herb that may grow to as high as 12 feet tall, having only one cylindrical trunk with its leaves jutting nicely from the top and attached by a lengthy stem. Common names of papayas include: papaya, kavunagaci, tree melon, fan kua, chich put, mamao (Brazil), lechoza (Venezuela and Dominican Republic) and papaw or paw paw in Australia.
Papaya Varieties
Papayas are usually categorized into Hawaiian papaya or Mexican papaya. The Hawaiian papaya tree is smaller (around 8 ft) and having totally grown fruits averaging around 1 lb that looks like a pear shape. Even though the Mexican papaya grows higher with larger fruit, they are usually less delicious. The papaya fruit looks green when young but turns yellow once ripe. The papaya flesh differs in color from yellow, pinkish to bright orange. A well ripened papaya fruit is often sweet and juicy.
Are Papaya Seeds Edible?
Many people are left wondering, "are papaya seeds edible?" The answer to it is a "yes". The hollowed area of the fruit has edible seeds that taste a bit like black pepper.
Health Benefits of Papayas
- The papaya is good for the skin. It is a natural product used in numerous skin whitening creams. Most of the creams that are employed to improve the face fairness contain papaya. The fruit may assist in eliminating acne as papaya helps open the pores. It makes your skin glows as it has the enzyme papain that assists to dissolve old skin debris, thereby providing a clean and fresh shine to the face.
- The papaya is abundant with dietary fiber that reduces levels of cholesterol. The fruit contains antioxidants that helps prevent your cholesterol from oxidizing. If cholesterol within your body gets oxidized, it may cause heart attacks. The antioxidants in papaya equally assist in managing premature ageing, and providing a young look.
- The papaya has a large quantity of potassium. The flesh contains high level of Vitamin A.
- Papaya seeds as well as the leaves are handy in healing intestinal worms in your body.
- The fruit is good to get rid of constipation while useful for digestion. Papaya has the protein known as papain, a digestive enzyme that can be helpful for natural digestion.
- Papaya juice works well for treating colon infections. Frequent intake helps improve the condition.
- The papaya skin is great for treating wounds and areas that usually do not recover fast.
- Calories in papaya are low but the nutritional value is high, making it a superb food for slimmers.
- Frequently eating of papaya helps you to reduce morning sickness as well as nausea.
- The fruit contains anti-cancerous and anti-inflammatory properties. The anti-inflammatory properties help relieve pain for people who have edema, osteoporosis and arthritis.
- The papaya is excellent for people who usually have problems with cold, flu or cough as consumption of the fruit enhances the immune system of the body. The substantial amount of vitamin A and C found in papaya is helpful to improve the body's defense mechanisms.
- The fruit is great for your hair and helps manage dandruff. Papayas are made into shampoos and can be found in various stores.
- Raw papaya helps eliminate menstrual problems in females. It promotes natural circulation of menstruation.
- The papaya may clean the stomach. Research indicates that by eating the fruit alone for 3-4 days is beneficial to the intestines and stomach.
How to Choose and Buy Papayas?
- Choosing papayas is determined by when you would like to consume it: in order to consume it immediately (probably, in the same day), you ought to select the fruit with a deep orange or even red skin, because papayas having yellow spots are usually not completely ripe and will need a few more days.
- You may occasionally notice green papayas in supermarkets: those are merely useful to very specific kinds of recipe, for instance cold dishes and Asian salads. Unless you are searching for them specifically, green papayas should always be avoided, as their tastes is not like that of completely ripe fruit.
How to Store Papayas?
- The ripening carries on despite the papaya has been plucked from the tree: yellow papayas may be allowed to ripen for a couple of days.
- Low temperatures slow down the ripening process, and this provides you with a reasonable level of control on it.
- Once they are completely ripe they may be kept in the refrigerator. However, they ought to be used in a few days if you wish to enjoy their taste to the maximum.
- The ripening process may also be quickened with the old technique of keeping the fruit in a paper bag along with an apple or banana: they are going to discharge ethylene, the ripening-inducer.
Papaya Recipes
Papaya is among the preferred ingredients used to prepare foods. Below is one of the papaya recipes.
Papaya Ice Cream Recipe
Ingredients:
- 2/3 cup granulated white sugar
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1-2/3 cups heavy cream
- 1 ripe medium papaya, peeled, seeded, sliced and rinsed
- 1 lime
Preparation:
- In a heavy saucepan, beat collectively the sugar, eggs, and heavy cream. While stirring, heat over the low heat until the mixture becomes thick enough to stick and coat the spoon. Never boil.
- Take away from heat and allow to cool until become lukewarm, while stirring once in a while to avoid the form of a skin.
- Put the papaya in the bowl of a heavy-duty blender.
- Use a grater to remove the zest of the lime, subsequently juice the lime fruit.
- Add in the lime juice and zest to the papaya. Process the mixture to produce a puree.
- Add the puree to the cream. Stir well to mix completely.
- Transfer the mixture into ice cream machine. Then freeze following the manufacturer's instructions.
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