How to buy papayas

Papaya matures through several stages. First is the green stage, then followed by more and more yellowing, starting from the bottom working its way to the top. Buy papaya when it's about half yellow, half green. When is yellow, it's probably about 75% ripe. When it's ripe, it would have a light fragrance and yield slightly to pressure. Look at the stem end for signs of any decay or over-ripeness.

Papayas are ethylene sensitive. To speed up the ripening process, put it in a paper bag along with an ethylene-producing fruit. eg apples or bananas. But avoid doing this when the papaya is fully ripe.