Cooking with papaya seeds - what does heating them do?
I've got a bunch of papaya seeds left over from a ripe fresh papaya and I'm trying to work out what I can do with them.
Researching this comes up with precisely two types of page:
- Hundreds of dubious articles claiming miraculous health benefits (I'm skeptical, but good to know they're edible)
- Hundreds of recipes for salad dressing, based on putting them cold in vinegar. I'm not especially interested in salad dressing, but if the vinegar does anything interesting to the seeds that could be used in other ways, that would be good to know about
What effect if any does cooking them have? Are they edible cooked? Are there any particular ways of heating them or ingredients to cook them with that bring out or modify their flavour in any notable way?
Cold, they're kinda tangy, sharp, bitter, not unlike peppercorns but more bitter and maybe slightly citrus-y. They seem to get more bitter the longer they're off the fruit - after two days in the fridge my stash became obscenely bitter, just one seed and I could still taste the bitterness 5 minutes later.
Or any other methods of preparation? Does steeping in vinegar do anything interesting? Or any other liquids? Crushing, freezing? Anything?
Best Answer
Clear answer: Nothing interesting food wise. I have lived in Asia between papaya trees for 10 years, and I have never seen them used. I tried drying them, brining, in vinegar, nope. They are inedible. Just like the papaya leaves. The only use is producing more papayas,
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Can papaya seeds be cooked?
Line a baking tray with baking paper. Place seeds on the prepared tray. Bake, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour 30 minutes or until dried.Can papaya seeds be toxic?
Animal and test-tube studies have found that compounds in papaya seeds may reduce fertility and have toxic effects on cells and DNA when administered in concentrated amounts.What is the best way to eat papaya seeds?
Scoop the raw seeds and eat them fresh (1 teaspoon) or store them in the fridge for later. Add it to a vinaigrette, salad dressing or smoothie. This may add a bitter taste, so cut the bitterness with other flavours. Make a marinade with papaya seeds, lemon zest, cream, lemon juice, chopped garlic and cilantro.Do papaya seeds contain cyanide?
There's an additional concern about papaya seeds, too. Trace amounts of cyanide \u2014 a harmful natural chemical \u2014 exist on the seeds, says Dr. Lee. Given that, ingesting them in large quantities could be harmful to your health.How to Eat Papaya Seeds - 3 Easy Recipes for Healthy Living
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Answer 2
Wash them to remove all the orange fruit bits, then dry them thoroughly on a cookie sheet in the sun. Store as is, use by grinding to a powder that can be used like black pepper. Key ingredient in Hawaiian papaya seed dressing!
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