Papayas

[Kristi]

I bought a great big papaya. Can't remember the name. About the size of a football. It said it was ripe when all yellow. It never got all yellow but did start getting bad spots so I opened her up. Not much flavor. I am not sure if that's how it tastes or is it not ripe. Is it still ok to eat? I made a smoothie with almond milk, pineapple, papaya and a couple strawberries for extra sweetness. It's very creamy.

[Alissa]

Kristi,
Papaya should be soft but not soggy. Like an avocado when ripe. The inside of those will be red when ripe. As long as it’s not hard it should be ripe. Unless it gets overripe with all mold on the outside then it can start to get hard again in the middle. The 'meat' should have a texture like that of a ripe avocado also.
Sometimes you'll get one without a ton of flavor, but a good papaya is blissful!
Squeeze a lime over it and try it that way, its divine!

[PaganChick]

I cant stand papaya's. They taste musky, moldy and mildew-y to me. At least the ones I tasted had that musky flavor to them... YUCK!

[Kristi]

This papaya is on the hard side. Is it ok to eat it still?