Papaya is known as a tropical fruit that tastes sweet and has a soft texture. However, papaya fruit sometimes still tastes bitter even though it is ripe. One of the main causes of this bitter taste is the presence of white sap known as latex. Well, this latex often remains on the skin or flesh of the fruit, especially if the papaya is not peeled and cleaned properly.
The sap contains the enzyme papain, which, although beneficial for digestion , can impart a bitter taste. Of course, ripe papayas that still taste bitter tend to be less palatable. However, the ripening factor also plays an important role in the taste of papaya fruit. Papayas that are picked before they reach full ripeness and then left to ripen off the tree tend to develop a bitter taste.
The natural ripening process on the tree allows the fruit to develop enough sugar content to balance out the bitterness. If this process is disrupted, the inadequate sugar content can cause the bitterness to persist. If you happen to find a ripe papaya that tastes bitter, don't worry, there's a way to fix it. As shared by YouTube user Quick Simple and Tasty.
 YouTube/Quick Simple and Tasty
As reported by BrilioFood from YouTube Quick Simple and Tasty on Thursday (12/9), the first thing to do is to leave the papaya intact and unpeeled. After that, cut both ends of the papaya using a knife. No need for too much, just cut a little until the flesh is visible.
 YouTube/Quick Simple and Tasty
After that, make a lengthwise incision from top to bottom of the papaya fruit. The more incisions made, the more sap will come out. Because, the bitter taste caused by ripe papaya fruit comes from the sap. So, this process is done to remove the sap.
 YouTube/Quick Simple and Tasty
If the papaya fruit has been sliced, place it on a stand in a standing position (horizontal). After that, let it sit for 2-3 hours. This will make all the white sap completely come out, so the taste of the papaya fruit becomes sweeter.
 YouTube/Quick Simple and Tasty
After letting it sit, rinse the papaya to remove the sap. Then peel the papaya as usual. Then cut and remove the seeds inside the papaya. Then cut the papaya into smaller pieces so that it is easy to eat. That way, you can enjoy fresh and sweet papaya. In addition to this technique, you can use other ways to remove the bitter taste of ripe papaya. One of them is by soaking it in a salt solution. So, peel and cut the papaya into small pieces, then soak it in salt water for 30-60 minutes. After that, rinse and serve. Well, this salt will help remove the sap that causes the bitter taste of papaya.