Cutting the Papaya
Pick a ripe papaya. Papayas are ripe when their green skin has started turning yellow and looks bruised. When you press the papaya, you should be able to make a slight indentation, but the papaya should not be completely soft. If a papaya mushy or smells overly sweet, it's too ripe to eat. If it's green and quite firm, it needs to ripen for a few days. Set it on your counter and allow it to turn a little yellow. Both the large, long Caribbean papaya variety and the smaller Hawaiian variety can be tested for ripeness in this way. Papayas bruise extremely easily, so handle it with care on the way home from the market. You can easily cut around the blemishes to avoid them.
Wash the papaya. The green skin of the papaya is not edible, but it's still important to wash the fruit to prevent contaminating the inside when you cut into it.
Lay the papaya on a flat surface. Use a cutting board or a countertop. Papayas are quite juicy and can make a bit of a mess, so you may want to have a dishtowel handy for cleanup.
Cut the papaya. Papayas are very soft inside, so handle it gently. Use the sharpest knife you have, or a serrated bread knife, to get a clean cut. Start by cutting off the top end of the papaya.
Slice the papaya in half lengthwise. Make sure the flesh inside looks ripe and fresh. It should have a slightly funny smell.
Scoop out the seeds from both halves of the papaya. Use a spoon to remove the black seeds and the sticky membrane that coats them.
Slice the papaya halves in half crosswise.
Use a sawing motion to slice off the skin. Repeat with all four quarters.
Slice the papaya into spears or chunks. Eat them fresh and unadorned, or use them to make one of the recipes below.
Making a Papaya Smoothie
Prepare a papaya and other fruit. Wash a ripe papaya, slice it in half lengthwise, discard the seeds and slice off the skin. Cut the papaya into a few large pieces. A papaya smoothie is delicious on its own, but you can also choose to make it with other fruit. Consider these options: Fresh or frozen blueberries. Blueberries have a lot of antioxidants and paired with papaya they would make a powerfully healthy smoothie. Kiwi and avocado. The kiwi offsets the papaya's sweetness with its bright flavor, and avocado makes for an especially creamy smoothie. Spinach or kale. Making a "green" smoothie is a great way to get a serving of vegetables at breakfast. Papaya is so sweet and flavorful that you won't be able to taste the greens.
Prepare the base. Papayas taste good with both cream and juice bases. Try one of the following bases to thin out your smoothie: A cup of yogurt, either flavored or plain. A cup of almond or cashew milk. A cup of orange juice or apple juice.
Add some extras. Enhance your smoothie with extra flavors or supplements to make it a complete meal. Consider the following options: A scoop of protein powder. A few spoonfuls of chia seeds. A tablespoon of peanut or almond butter.
Blend the ingredients. Place the fruit, base, and extras in a blender. Put the lid on the blender and use the "liquify" button to blend the ingredients until they are smooth. If you like a thinner smoothie, add more juice, milk or water. If you prefer your smoothies on the thicker side, add a few spoonfuls of instant oatmeal. Blend until smooth.
Serve the smoothie. Pour it into a glass and drink it with a straw, or if you made it extra thick, eat it with a spoon.
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