Papaya pulp is made from the tropical fruit papaya. It may be used as a concentrate for juice, jams, baby food, addition to desserts and ice cream or just eaten as is. Commercial preparations of papaya pulp are available but it can be made easily at home from fresh papayas.
Carica papaya are grown in most tropical and sub-tropical countries. The trees grown tall with a plain trunk and branch out usually only at the top. They flower and produce the papaya fruit at the top of the trunk just below the branches. There are various kinds of papaya trees and some grow taller than others. Depending on the type, picking the fruit may require some expert climbing or a ladder.
The papaya fruit may differ in size, shape and look. They may have skins that range from green to yellow and may be pear-shaped or more cylindrical. They all have yellow, orange or pink flesh which is fragrant and soft. In the center of the fruit is a hollow filled with small black seeds which are easy to scoop out.
When making papaya pulp it is important to use ripe papayas. When they are ripe it should be possible to make a mark if pressing the skin. The papaya is then peeled and cut in half. All seeds should be scooped out and then the papaya roughly chopped into pieces.
The pieces may then be placed in a blender for a short period. Leaving it in too long may result in too smooth a consistency, although this depends entirely on personal preference. Papaya pulp can also be made by hand without a blender, using a sieve. The chopped papaya is placed in a sieve and pushed through using a spoon. It is important not to use too fine a sieve as this could result in much of the papaya being lost.
Commercial papaya pulp is available in various forms, both fresh and frozen. Both homemade or commercial papaya pulp can be used for many delicious dishes. As an addition to yogurt or yogurt with muesli it provides a healthy breakfast snack, mixed in with ice-cream it can make a delicious tropical dessert and it can be used to make jam.
Papaya has many nutritional advantages. It is a good source of vitamins and contains an enzyme called papain, which is thought to help digestion. It is also thought to have medicinal properties and has been used in many natural remedies.