cut papaya cubes Credit: Joy Howard
cut papaya cubes Credit: Joy Howard
cut papaya cubes Credit: Joy Howard
cut papaya cubes
Credit: Joy Howard
A tropical fruit with sweet, deep-orange flesh, papaya has a mild and musky flavor similar to cantaloupe, and a pleasantly buttery texture reminiscent of mango. It’s a common ingredient in many Asian and Caribbean cuisines and makes a great addition to dishes—both sweet and savory. (Think smoothies, salads or even stir-fries!) In addition to being delicious, papaya is packed with vitamins and nutrients including vitamins A and C, folate and fiber.
papaya, knife and peeler on cutting board Credit: Joy Howard
You’ll most likely find fresh papayas at your local international food market, but they’ve become more commonplace in conventional grocery stores—especially when they’re in season during summer and fall. When choosing your fruit, look for ones that have some yellow tones in their skin and give slightly when pressed. Your papaya will be ready to cut once it’s become more soft and yellow.
How to Cut Papaya
Cutting the fruit is quite easy and requires just a few tools and steps. Here’s how you do it:
Use a sharp knife to trim the ends off the fruit.
cutting papaya ends off Credit: Joy Howard
Halve the fruit lengthwise.
cutting papaya in half Credit: Joy Howard
Use a spoon to scrape away the seeds and pulp from each half. Be careful not to scoop too deeply into the fruit or you’ll lose some of the flesh.
scooping seeds from a papaya with a spoon Credit: Joy Howard
Use a vegetable peeler to remove the skin. (See our picks for the best vegetable peelers.)
Peeling papaya with a vegetable peeler Credit: Joy Howard
Cut each half lengthwise into long strips.
cutting papaya Credit: Joy Howard
Chop into bite-size cubes and enjoy!
cutting papaya into cubes Credit: Joy Howard
To brighten its flavor, sprinkle the papaya with a bit of lime juice before eating. You can enjoy the fruit on its own, or add it to a fruit smoothie or anywhere you might use a melon or mango. It’s also delicious simply topped with toasted coconut.
cubed papaya with coconut flakes Credit: Joy Howard
Now that you know how to cut papaya, learn how to cut kiwi, how to cut a pineapple, how to cut a watermelon and how to cut a cantaloupe.
papaya, knife and peeler on cutting board Credit: Joy Howard
papaya, knife and peeler on cutting board
cutting papaya ends off Credit: Joy Howard
cutting papaya ends off
cutting papaya in half Credit: Joy Howard
cutting papaya in half
scooping seeds from a papaya with a spoon Credit: Joy Howard
scooping seeds from a papaya with a spoon
Peeling papaya with a vegetable peeler Credit: Joy Howard
Peeling papaya with a vegetable peeler
cutting papaya Credit: Joy Howard
cutting papaya
cutting papaya into cubes Credit: Joy Howard
cutting papaya into cubes
cubed papaya with coconut flakes Credit: Joy Howard
cubed papaya with coconut flakes
