Whether you eat fresh fruits or prefer to go for the dried ones, one thing is sure, and that is, you will enjoy the fantastic taste and benefits of both. The only difference is that the fresh fruits will not last longer, whereas the dried ones will last for months and years, just like dried papaya.
And if you want to create the dried fruits at your home on your own, then you are at the right place. Here you will find the different methods for drying papayas at your place and enjoy its benefits.
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Table of Contents
How To Make Dried Papaya?
As you are willing to make the dried papayas on your own, here are a few simple methods you can go for by following the steps carefully.
1. Have dried papaya using an oven
If you have an oven at home, it will help you a lot to have papaya dried. Just read the steps given below and follow them carefully:
- Take the papaya and wash it under the cold running water and clean the dirt on the fruit.
- Peel the skin of the papaya using a knife and cut the fruit into slices.
- Now, place the slices in the appropriate gaps on a cookie sheet and create just a single layer of slices.
- In case you don’t have a cookie sheet at the moment, you can also go for a muslin, cheesecloth, or a thin absorbent cloth.
- Now, set the oven at 100-degree Fahrenheit and let the slices bake for around 12 hours.
- And as you keep the tray of slices inside the oven, make sure you leave the door a little open to allow the air circulate properly, which helps the moisture from the fruit to escape.
- After 6 hours, check the slices of the papaya and flip them if needed. Once the first 6 hours of baking have passed, you are going to keep an eye on the slices every 1 hour to remove the tray when the slices are brittle and dry.
- And, once the slices are easy to break, you are going to remove the tray from the oven and let it cool down for a few minutes before you use or store the dry papaya.
You can store the dried papaya in an airtight container and keep the box in a cool, dry, and dark place for durability. Ensure that you keep the slices away from moisture as it can affect the slices’ quality and life.
2. Get dehydrated papaya in a natural way
Getting the papaya dehydrated naturally is the best method to go for. It is because it is not going to involve any harmful rays during the process. Even the papaya leaves have the unique benefits that most people add them to their meal. Also, it is an effortless method if you follow the steps mentioned below:
- The first step is to clean the papaya with cold water and get rid of the dirt.
- After cleaning the fruit, peel the skin and cut the fruit into equally thin slices to speed up its drying process.
- You will now lay the papaya slices on racks or clean screens and ensure that the outside temperature is 85-degrees Fahrenheit. Also, the slices need to be placed at an equal distance to avoid touching and overlapping.
- Now, cover the layer of slices with muslin, cheesecloth, or thin absorbent cloths to protect the slices from dirt, bugs, and insects.
- You will turn the sides of the slices once a day so that they are drying up evenly.
Once the slices are brittle and easy to break, you are all set to store and eat dried papaya after cooling it down for around 5-10 minutes. Do ensure that you are keeping the dehydrated papaya in a cool and dark place for durability.
The process might also take a few days to complete the task, but you will love the result. You can even call it one of the cheapest methods to go for amongst all.
3. Drying papaya in dehydrator
If you want to save your time and energy both, the best thing to do for drying the papayas is to go for a food dehydrator, which is not expensive and effective. If you don’t know how to use a dehydrator for dehydrating papaya, follow the easy steps given below:
- As you have bought papaya from the market, wash it thoroughly with cold water.
- Then, get rid of the fruit’s skin using a knife and cut the papaya into thin slices.
- And once you are done with cutting the fruit, lay the slices on the rack and make sure that they are not touching or overlapping each other. Or else, it can affect the speed of the drying process.
- Now, place the rack inside the dehydrator and set the temperature, as mentioned in your user manual. If you want, you can also set the dehydrator to 125-degrees Fahrenheit.
- It might take you around 6 hours to be done with the dehydration of papaya, and during the process, you are going to turn the side of the slices every 2 hours to ensure uniform drying.
- After 6 hours, you are going to take a slice in your hand and break it to see if it is dry and brittle to use or not.
If the slices are ready, you can save them in an airtight container and place them in a cool dark place to make them last longer.
So, these three easiest methods are the answers to your question ‘how to dry papaya’. You can opt for them to have dried papaya at your home. And, once you have the result in your hands after following the steps, you can use them in different dried papaya recipes and enjoy the taste.
How To Dry Papaya Seeds In Oven?
After you are done with drying the papaya, you can also dry its seeds using an oven. The steps to do so are easy to follow and have been mentioned below:
- First, separate the seeds from the papaya and wash them properly to get rid of the fruit’s stickiness.
- Before you place them in an oven, make sure that they are completely dry to speed up the process.
- And, as you wash and dry the seeds, preheat the oven at 120-degrees.
- Now, use a baking sheet and parchment paper to create a non-stick surface inside the oven and lay the seeds on the tray properly.
- Now, put the tray inside the oven, and it will take you around 90 minutes to get done with drying papaya seeds.
- Make sure you are stirring the seeds occasionally to ensure uniform baking.
- And once they are dry, keep them to cool down for a few minutes.
You can now take the seeds and store them in an airtight container. You can use the dry seeds in smoothies, salads, even soup, and various other things. It is beneficial for your health, and it is good to add them to your diet.
What Are The Benefits Of Dried Papaya?
Now, before you plan to add the dried papayas in your diet, here are a few benefits you should know:
- As the dried papaya is rich in Vitamin A and C, it improves your heart health.
- The high potassium content in the dried fruit helps in lowering the high blood pressure and stress levels.
- The best thing about this dry fruit is that it helps you lose your body’s unwanted weight. It helps in keeping your stomach full for a long time.
- It also helps you boost your energy as it is a good source of fiber and vitamin C.
- It is a great fruit to help you in improving your eye vision. It helps you in preventing glaucoma, cataracts, and other eye-related issues.
- It is a fruit that only helps keep your body healthy, but it also helps keep your skin healthy and glowing. It is a good source for having smooth skin.
- Adding dry papaya to your diet is going to benefit your hair a lot. It makes them grow healthy and strong.
- You can add it to your diet to improve your immune system as well.
- It can help you in killing the cancer cells.
- You can have it to treat gouts as well.
Last Words
If you don’t want to buy dried papaya from the market, you can do the whole dehydration process on your own at your home. The methods are convenient and straightforward and have been mentioned in this piece. Adding seeds to your diet is very insightful, and you can even dry the papaya seeds at your place by following a few easy steps and add it to different food items.
As the dehydrated papayas have various health benefits, it is good to add them to your diet and bring some good life changes.