Fresh Papaya anyone?

Log in / Sign Up

List of Forums + New Post Recipe Box Usergroups Following My Posts Bookmarks

Private Messages Advanced Search Rules New User Guide FAQ Advertise Contact Us

Forum -> Miscellaneous

View latest: 24h 48h 72h

girliesmommy

Tue, Jan 02 2007, 7:28 pm

DH just bought a fresh papaya for the very first time. It seemed quite ripe from the outside but not overly mushy.

He cut it open, and it looks ok, but the smell... well, to put it mildly it smells like vomit!

Is that what it should smell like? I've never seen one before so I have no clue. I expected it to have a sweet smell like melon.

Can anyone help?

technic

Tue, Jan 02 2007, 7:31 pm

Fruit: There are two types of papayas, Hawaiian and Mexican. The Hawaiian varieties are the papayas commonly found in supermarkets. These pear-shaped fruit generally weigh about 1 pound and have yellow skin when ripe. The flesh is bright orange or pinkish, depending on variety, with small black seeds clustered in the center. Hawaiian papayas are easier to harvest because the plants seldom grow taller than 8 feet. Mexican papayas are much larger the the Hawaiian types and may weigh up to 10 pounds and be more than 15 inches long. The flesh may be yellow, orange or pink. The flavor is less intense than that the Hawaiian papaya but still is delicious and extremely enjoyable. They are slightly easier to grow than Hawaiian papayas. A properly ripened papaya is juicy, sweetish and somewhat like a cantaloupe in flavor, although musky in some types. The fruit (and leaves) contain papain which helps digestion and is used to tenderize meat. The edible seeds have a spicy flavor somewhat reminiscent of black pepper.

girliesmommy

Tue, Jan 02 2007, 7:35 pm

Thanks for that info, tech! But what about my vomit smelling papaya? Is it rotten?

Mrs. XYZ

Tue, Jan 02 2007, 7:39 pm

I don't think its rotten, I know what you mean. It does have an interesting smell.

technic

Tue, Jan 02 2007, 7:49 pm

maybe the vomit smell is the muskiness?

greenfire

Wed, Jan 03 2007, 9:21 am

They actually say that papaya is good for pregnant women - supposedly to stop heartburn and nausea

chocolate moose

Wed, Jan 03 2007, 9:54 am

Ya got ta have a taste for it!

amother

Wed, Jan 03 2007, 10:25 am

Girliesmommy - I know why it smells like vomit to you! Remember when you were about 5 years old & we were at the neighbor's (The S's) & you had a snack of dried papaya & threw up all over their front steps? Very Happy

girliesmommy

Wed, Jan 03 2007, 1:33 pm

Oh yeah! I was just telling DH about that last night. It wasn't a snack - it was Tu B'Shvat and I ate too much of it!!!!!!

rainbow

Wed, Jan 03 2007, 2:46 pm

I understand about the vomit odor.... It's a turn-off for me as well, tho the kids love it! Very healthy!

red sea

Wed, Jan 03 2007, 2:52 pm

That is how papaya smells, it tastes very good tho.

withhumor

Wed, Jan 03 2007, 5:53 pm

My mother is severely allergic to papaya (papaya only and nothing else), so this is one potent fruit. Be aware when trying something new, you are supposed to wait it out for 2 weeks before trying something new again. Her symptoms? Her eyeballs fill with water under the topmost layer, basically the balls become double the size. You have never seen something so gross and painful in your life. Be safe!

deedee

Wed, Jan 03 2007, 8:43 pm

"They actually say that papaya is good for pregnant women - supposedly to stop heartburn and nausea"

its funny u say that cause when I was preg the only thing I could eat every morning on the way to work was papaya and a slice of cheese!!!
I never liked it growing up but since them I developed a taste for it. now we have our own papaya tree and I cant wait till they are ripe.

wow withhumor I have never heard of that b-4 it must be very rare!

girliesmommy

Wed, Jan 03 2007, 8:49 pm

Thanks for all the info. DH took it back to the fruit store to ask them, and they said it's normal. So, now we have this whole (very expensive!) papaya that nobody will touch. Anyone want some?

red sea

Thu, Jan 04 2007, 12:46 am

fax it here, I'll eat Exclamation

Page 1 of 1