How to clean papaya? (Kako ocistiti papaju?)

Contents:

1. How to clean papaya?
2. Storage and shelf life of cut papaya?
3. How to choose a papaya in the store?

 How to clean papaya? 

1. Wash the papaya well under cold water and wipe it with a clean kitchen towel.

2. Cut off a small part from both ends of the papaya so that it has flat surfaces and is more stable for cutting.

3. Place the papaya on a board and cut it lengthwise, from one end to the other.

4. Remove all the seeds from the middle with a spoon. Run a spoon along the inner wall of the papaya to remove the seeds stuck to the flesh.

5. Place half of the papaya with its flat side on the board. Using a knife, carefully cut off the peel in thin strips, from top to bottom.

5b. If the papaya is hard enough, you can also use a vegetable peeler.

6. If there are green or harder parts of the meat left with the peel, thinly cut them with a knife.

7. Cut the peeled papaya into slices and then into cubes, or leave it in larger pieces, depending on the recipe in which you use it.

8. Place the cut papaya in a closed container and store in the refrigerator.

 Storage and shelf life of cut papaya 

• Place the cut papaya in a clean, well-closed container and store in the refrigerator at a temperature of up to 4 °C.
• It is best to use it within 2 to 3 days.
• If it is very ripe and soft, it is best to use it within 1 to 2 days.
• Do not leave it at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
• If you notice an unpleasant smell, a slimy surface, pronounced softening or discoloration, do not eat it.
• You can freeze papaya cut into cubes. It is best to use it in the freezer within 6 months, and after thawing it will have a softer texture.

 How to choose a papaya in the store? 

1. Look at the color of the skin. A ripe papaya has a mostly yellow-orange skin, while a completely green papaya is unripe. It may have a few green parts, especially if you plan to let it ripen at home.

2. Lightly press the skin with your fingers. A ripe papaya should yield slightly under pressure, but should not be too soft or mushy.

3. Smell it by the stem. Ripe papaya has a mild, sweet and fruity smell. If it doesn't have any smell, it's probably not fully ripe yet.

4. Look at the skin. Choose fruit without large dents, cracks, moist dark spots and signs of mold.

5. Check the weight. A papaya that is relatively heavy for its size usually has more juicy flesh. 

6. If you are buying it for a few days, choose a firm papaya with more green parts. Leave it at room temperature until it softens and acquires a more yellow-orange color.

7. If you want to eat it right away, choose a papaya that is mostly yellow-orange, slightly soft to the touch and has a pleasant smell.

 Uses of papaya: 

1. It is eaten fresh, alone or in fruit salads.
2. It can be added to smoothies, with buttermilk or Greek yogurt.
3. It is excellent for preparing fruit puree.
4. It can be used to prepare creams, desserts and ice cream.
5. It can be used to prepare jam or fruit sauce.
6. It can be used as an addition to marinades for meat, because it contains the enzyme papain, which helps to soften the meat.
7. Green, unripe papaya is used in salads and some cooked dishes, but differs from ripe papaya in taste and texture.

Sadržaj:

1. Kako ocistiti papaju?
2. Čuvanje i rok trajanja isecene papaje?
3. Kako odabrati papaju u prodavnici?

 Kako ocistiti papaju? 

1. Dobro operite papaju pod mlazom hladne vode i obrisite je cistom kuhinjskom krpom.

2. Odsecite mali deo sa oba kraja papaje kako bi imala ravne povrsine i bila stabilnija za secenje.

3. Stavite papaju na dasku i presecite je uzduz, od jednog kraja do drugog.

4. Kasikom izvadite sve semenke iz sredine. Prodjite kasikom uz unutrasnji zid papaje kako biste uklonili i semenke koje su se zalepile za meso.

5. Polovinu papaje stavite ravnom stranom na dasku. Nozem pazljivo odsecajte koru u tankim trakama, od vrha prema dole. 

5b. Ako je papaja dovoljno cvrsta, mozete koristiti i ljustilicu za povrce.

6. Ako su uz koru ostali zeleni ili tvrdji delovi mesa, tanko ih odsecite nozem.

7. Ociscenu papaju isecite na kriske, a zatim na kockice, ili je ostavite u vecim komadima, zavisno od recepta u kome je koristite.

8. Isecenu papaju stavite u zatvorenu posudu i cuvajte u frizideru.

 Cuvanje i rok trajanja isecene papaje 

• Isecenu papaju stavite u cistu, dobro zatvorenu posudu i cuvajte u frizideru na temperaturi do 4 °C.
• Najbolje je potrositi je u roku od 2 do 3 dana.
• Ako je veoma zrela i mekana, najbolje je potrositi je u roku od 1 do 2 dana.
• Nemojte je ostavljati na sobnoj temperaturi duze od 2 sata.
• Ako primetite neprijatan miris, sluzavu povrsinu, izrazeno omeksavanje ili promenu boje, nemojte je jesti.
• Papaju mozete zamrznuti isecenu na kockice. U zamrzivacu je najbolje iskoristiti u roku od 6 meseci, a nakon odmrzavanja bice mekse teksture.

 Kako odabrati papaju u prodavnici? 

1. Pogledajte boju kore. Zrela papaja ima uglavnom zuto-narandzastu koru, dok je potpuno zelena papaja nezrela. Moze imati nekoliko zelenih delova, posebno ako planirate da je ostavite da sazri kod kuce.

2. Lagano pritisnite koru prstima. Zrela papaja treba blago da popusti pod pritiskom, ali ne sme biti previse mekana ili gnjecava.

3. Pomirisite je kod peteljke. Zrela papaja ima blag, sladak i vocni miris. Ako nema nikakav miris, verovatno jos nije potpuno zrela.

4. Pogledajte koru. Birajte plod bez velikih udubljenja, pukotina, vlaznih tamnih fleka i znakova budji.

5. Proverite tezinu. Papaja koja je za svoju velicinu relativno teska obicno ima vise socnog mesa.

6. Ako je kupujete za nekoliko dana, izaberite cvrscu papaju sa vise zelenih delova. Ostavite je na sobnoj temperaturi dok ne omeksa i dobije vise zuto-narandzaste boje.

7. Ako zelite da je jedete odmah, izaberite papaju koja je uglavnom zuto-narandzasta, blago mekana na dodir i ima prijatan miris.

 Upotreba papaje: 

1. Jede se sveza, sama ili u vocnim salatama.
2. Moze se dodati u smuti, uz jogurt ili grcki jogurt.
3. Odlicna je za pripremu vocnog pirea.
4. Moze se koristiti za pripremu krema, dezerta i sladoleda.
5. Moze se koristiti za pripremu dzema ili vocnog sosa.
6. Moze se koristiti kao dodatak marinadama za meso, jer sadrzi enzim papain koji pomaze omeksavanju mesa.
7. Zelena, nezrela papaja koristi se za salate i neka kuvana jela, ali se razlikuje od zrele papaje po ukusu i teksturi.