Papaya

About
The papaya tree grows from seed to a 20 foot, fruit-bearing tree in less than 18 months. Papayas are cultivated in semitropical zones around the world and can range in size from 1 to 20 pounds. The flesh is soft, juicy and silky-smooth, with a delicate sweet flavor. It has a center cavity filled with small, round, black, peppery-tasting seeds, which are edible but generally discarded.

Varieties
Solo
The skin color may range from green with a yellow blush to half green, half yellow. This fruit turns more yellow as it ripens. The flesh is a pale orange color.

Jamaican
Smaller than the Solo variety but the flavor is sweeter. The flesh is rose-colored.

Availability
Year-round.

Nutrition Information:
• Fat and cholesterol free
• Very low sodium
• Good source of fiber
• High in vitamin C
• Good source of folate (folic acid)
For complete nutritional information, click here.

Additional Information
• Why Eat It - Selection - Storage - Preparation
• From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia