Because of their delicate skin, papayas can be a little tricky to store. Once they’re ripe, you’ve only got a short window to enjoy them before they start to spoil, so timing is everything!
Storing Ripe Fruit
A ripe papaya doesn’t have a very long shelf life, especially the ones you find at the grocery store. While the papaya is originally from South America, it’s grown in tropical and subtropical climates all over the world today. To make the long journey to our local markets, these fruits are usually picked just before they’re fully ripe so they don’t get crushed during transport.
Usually, they travel in refrigerated containers, but once they hit the store shelves, they’re kept at warmer temperatures to help them finish ripening. By the time you bring one home, you’ve usually only got a few days left. Even the fridge won’t buy you much extra time. In fact, you should generally avoid sticking ripe papayas in the refrigerator—like most exotic fruits, they prefer staying at room temperature to keep their flavor and texture at their best.
How to Ripen a Papaya
Did you know you can actually grow a papaya tree from seeds? With a little luck, you can even get them to fruit in cooler climates! Whether you’re harvesting from your own tree or you accidentally grabbed a green one at the store, you can help it along by keeping it in a warm spot for a few days.
The fruit will ripen up in just a few days, provided it was picked at the right stage. If it was harvested way too early, it might never fully sweeten up. But don’t toss it! Unripe papaya is actually delicious when treated like a vegetable in savory dishes. Once it’s fully ripe, though, it’s strictly “team fruit.”
Using Your Papaya
A ripe papaya will stay fresh for about three to four days if kept in a cool, stable spot—a pantry is usually perfect. Pro tip: place them on a soft surface or a towel. Their skin is so thin that they can develop soft spots or start to rot right where they touch a hard counter.
Ideally, you’ll want to eat or prep your papaya as soon as possible. If you aren’t ready to use it yet, you can always freeze your papaya. While frozen papaya changes texture a bit (so it’s not great for fruit salads), it’s still fantastic for plenty of other recipes. Personally, I think papaya is best enjoyed fresh—tossed into a fruit salad, blended into a smoothie, or simply scooped right out of the skin with a spoon!
