The papaya (Carica Papaya) is a tropical fruit native to Central America, which is stands out for containing a very essential substance for our body, such as papain (a proteolytic enzyme that has the ability to break down proteins). This fruit is grown in all the tropical and subtropical regions of the world, being Brazil, Mexico and India the most producing countries worldwide.
Commonly this fruit is known as "papayón", "olocotón" or "lechoza" in the Dominican Republic, Venezuela and Colombia, in Cuba as "frutabomba" and in Argentina and Paraguay as "papaya melon", "tree melon" and " mammon".
Its nutrients are mainly sugars that can be absorbed quickly, it provides soluble fiber, fat is scarce and protein is low, which is common in fruits. It also contains vitamins such as: A, group B (B1, B2, B3), C, E, K folic acid, minerals such as potassium, magnesium, calcium, zinc, iodine, phosphorus and alkaloids that regulate blood pressure.
The papaya when ripe can be eaten raw, you just have to peel it and remove the seeds. You can also make juices, jams, sweet creams, custards, sweets in syrup, sauces to accompany desserts, etc. There are different forms of papaya, they can have an elongated, round and even pear-shaped:
They can be red, yellow pulp and there are some orange ones.
There is the Red Cartagena, it is long, at the same time somewhat rounded and its pulp is red.
You can also find the yellow Cartagena, it is almost the same as the red one, only what the pulp is yellow.
Select the seeds of a fruit or those that we buy in a gardening. If we use the seeds of a fruit, these should preferably be washed in a colander and pressed to remove the black gelatinous layer (without breaking the seed) and then dry it.
The papaya prefers warmer climates, however both heat and humidity are essential for the proper development of the crop. You should never grow papaya in areas where they find low temperatures, because the plants would die.
This plant grows on any type of soil provided they are light, fertile soft, deep and permeable.
We can sow the seeds in the garden, pot or directly on the ground.
The seed should be sown at a depth of 1 cm and 1 meter between plants.
The risks should be moderate every time you see that the humidity of the earth is reduced, but we must avoid the puddles.
The soil or pot must have good drainage.
Eliminate weeds.
The harvest is done manually 7-8 months after having planted the seed or when the color of the papaya is between green and yellow. It is best to collect the papaya before 11 am and after 4.00 pm.
