---
title: How to pick, ripen, and cut a papaya
description: Ripeness cues, the paper-bag trick for a papaya that's still hard, how to cut one without making a mess, and why it smells like that.
source: https://poopaya.com/papaya/how-to-pick-ripen-and-cut-a-papaya
---

If you've only ever bought papaya pre-cut in a plastic clamshell, the whole fruit can be intimidating the first time. It shouldn't be. It's closer to a melon than anything exotic, once you know what you're looking at.

## Picking one that's actually ripe

Skip the ones that are all green; they'll need days on the counter before they're any good. What you want is skin that's turned mostly yellow to orange, with a little give when you press it gently, the same way you'd check an avocado. A few green patches are fine and will finish coloring in a day or two on the counter.

## If it's still hard

Papayas keep ripening after they're picked. A firm, mostly-green one just needs time: a paper bag on the counter, out of direct sun, checked once a day. Tossing in a banana or apple speeds it up, since they give off ethylene gas, which is what triggers ripening. Most papayas go from hard to ready in two to four days this way.

## About the smell

Ripe papaya has a distinct, musky smell that catches some people off guard the first time. It's a real, common reaction, not a sign anything's wrong, and it's strongest right at the stem end. If the smell is genuinely sour or fermented rather than musky-sweet, that's overripe, and that one's better skipped.

## Cutting it

Halve it lengthwise, stem to blossom end, with a decent knife. The skin is tougher than the flesh, so a serrated edge helps. Inside you'll find a cluster of round black seeds packed in a slippery membrane. Scoop the whole thing out with a spoon (we don't use the seeds, more on why in [the papaya and digestion article](/articles/papaya-and-digestion)). The skin doesn't soften even when the fruit is ripe, so peel it before you slice, cube, or scoop the flesh for whatever you're making.

Ready to use it? [Mike's Favorite Papaya Recipes](/papaya) has the three he actually makes.