Papaya
The fruit of Papaya looks like a large ovoid berry with the shape of a melon. Its color is yellow-orange if ripe and green if unripe. The pulp of papaya is juicy, sweet, rich in small black seeds covered with mucilage. Papaya has a taste very similar to that of peach and melon.
Compared to fresh fruit, dehydrated fruit loses water and concentrates fiber, sugars and minerals, thus becoming a nutritious, satiating and not excessively caloric snack.
Dehydrated papaya slices are obtained from fresh papaya, peeled, cut and subjected to dehydration by hot air. Drying, as already mentioned above, removes water and moisture and increases the shelf life of the product.
Today this fruit is also consumed in the form of fermented papaya as a health remedy.
Properties and Benefits
There are many and really important properties related to the papaya fruit, thanks to the presence of numerous foods: vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin E, vitamin K, folic acid, magnesium, potassium, copper, pantothenic acid, flavonoids. Some of the properties of papaya depend precisely on the composition of the seeds.
Specifically, thanks to the presence of papain, this fruit would seem to be a real panacea for digestive problems, in particular for the digestion of proteins. Then again the fibers would seem to be useful for the intestine as it is able to favor its regularity.
Papain itself is the basis of the production of numerous cosmetics, beers and food supplements.
Due to the presence of antioxidant active ingredients, papaya gives the skin a healthier appearance, protecting cells from aging. For this reason, papaya is considered a powerful anti-aging and is always recommended as a supplement.
Our eyes can also benefit from the properties of papaya: vitamin A helps to naturally prevent retinal degeneration and other eye diseases such as cataracts and macular degeneration.
The low calorie content of papaya also gives it slimming properties: this fruit is recommended for those who follow a diet, as a snack breaks hunger with low caloric intake.
Recipes
In addition to being a very sweet fruit to be consumed fresh, after peeling it, it can be used in different recipes.
With papaya you can make smoothies, ice cream and desserts.
Being a very good and healthy fruit, with papaya you can indulge in the creation of different smoothies. For a smoothie with a typically tropical taste try to blend the papaya with banana, mango and coconut milk, as well as being really tasty you will fill up with vitamins and mineral salts. Adding slices of pineapple and ginger instead, with lemon or orange juice, you will create a lighter and detoxifying drink that will give you the right energy without weighing you down too much.
Papaya can also be used in savory dishes, such as papaya salad or papaya risotto. The seeds of the fruit are also edible, as long as they are consumed in moderation.
These small seeds can be eaten whole, as if they were a dietary supplement, or you can use them as a condiment, to make them easier to consume. They have a bitter taste, especially when they are larger, so eating them directly may be difficult. That is why it is recommended to wash them well, dry them and grind them. They can be used as a substitute for black pepper, to season your salads, meat or fish.
A little curiosity: green papaya juice is poured on the meat during barbecues, to preserve the meat as tender and juicy as possible.
Recommendations
Papaya can be a great appetizer, just like melon.
Dried papaya is a great addition to yogurt, ice cream and dough to make cookies. You can add it to other dried fruit to prepare bars or even to a smoothie to make it more energetic.
Papaya compote
Italia Spezie is also a BIO world and for this reason it offers you the opportunity to try a papaya compote.
Our compote is ideal on a slice of homemade bread for breakfast but also in numerous dessert recipes: pies, biscuits and muffins.
These delicious fruit compotes are prepared while maintaining all the taste of fresh fruit. They contain only fruit sugars and this helps to enhance the taste of fruit. Excellent on a slice of good homemade bread or for the preparation of pies and desserts.
INGREDIENTS
*papaya puree 55%, *concentrated apple puree 37.5%, *apple juice 2%, gelling agent: citrus pectin, *lemon juice, acidity regulator: citric acid, antioxidant: ascorbic acid. *organic
STORAGE METHODS
Store in a cool, dry place. Once opened, keep in the fridge and consume in a short time.