Fruit For Thought

Growing papayas is easy and very rewarding.  But it helps if you live in a warm climate all year around, like in Barbados.  Plant some small black seeds from the pulp of a sweet papaya in a small container with potting mix, spacing them out evenly in the pot to give them enough room to grow.  In about a week, they will start to germinate, and plant growth is fairly rapid once the seedlings get enough light and water. 

When the seedlings are about a foot tall, they can be separated and planted in the garden with loosely packed soil enriched with manure.  The seedlings will grow quickly and start to put out flowers within a few months.  After about 6 months in the ground, you will find fruits starting to emerge from the blossoms.  Some of the fruits, depending on the species of papaya, can get very large and heavy.  Since healthy papaya trees can put out multiple fruits at one time, it can become a heavy load for the tree to bear.  If the tree is not growing straight, it can be propped up with ropes or stakes to prevent it from bending over and breaking from the weight of all the fruit.  The trees produce fruit year round, which make it a joy to have as part of any kitchen garden.

Papayas can be allowed to ripen on the tree, although birds may peck at the ripening fruits, so picking them less than fully ripe may be a better option.  Once picked semi-green, they take about 1-3 days to fully ripen.  They can grow as large as 20” long and weigh several pounds.

Mature Papaya tree (Carica papaya; left); reaping a ripe papaya (centre; photo by Karen Wise Photography); papaya ready to eat (right; photo by Karen Wise Photography @ www.foodandart.com).

  

Papaya can be eaten as is, added to fruit salad, salsas, or blended in fruit drinks and smoothies.  The seeds are edible as well, and have a peppery flavour.

Papaya interior with black seeds (left); papaya sectioned for serving (right).

Papaya, also known in some parts of the world as ‘paw paw’, is a delicious tropical fruit with numerous health benefits.  They are a rich source of nutrients, including carotenes (vitamin A), vitamin C, and flavonoids, B vitamins, folate, pantothenic acid, potassium, copper and magnesium.  They are also rich in fiber and contain the digestive enzyme, papain. 

If you live in a tropical or sub-tropical area, papayas make a great addition to your kitchen garden and are so simple to grow.  You will enjoy growing them and reaping the benefits of this delicious, colourful, and healthy tropical fruit.

 

Garden-to-Table Bajan Style

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Since my last post, I have been busy planting my own kitchen garden in Barbados and growing a variety of organic produce.  The garden is now producing an interesting array of herbs and vegetables throughout the year, allowing me to cook fresh, organic, garden-to-table style dishes.

Growing your own fresh produce is both fun and very rewarding.  The results can be amazing since really fresh food adds more intense flavours that are exciting to the palate.  Who knew how great a salad could taste when you can pick your greens fresh and use them right away.  It almost makes it hard to eat any other way.  But at least if you can start to supplement your daily diet with as many fresh foods as possible, it’s a great way to achieving a much healthier lifestyle.

In Barbados, it is easy to get rum barrels from any of the rum refineries (I source the ones from Mount Gay) and use them to grow herbs and vegetables.  That way, the produce can be reared above ground level and away from pests such as snails and slugs.  The rum barrels are large enough, deep enough, and are very attractive in the garden.

Fresh salad greens grown in a Barbados rum barrel.  This one has Arugula and romaine seedlings that have just been planted.

I try to make a fresh salad every day at lunch time.  My favourite type of lettuce is Arugula as it imparts a peppery flavour which is a nice addition to any green salad.  Having a simple Arugula salad with pear, cucumber, dried cranberries, roasted walnuts, green onions and fresh Italian parsley is simply delicious topped with a homemade fresh lime and olive oil vinaigrette.  I always add freshly grated Parmesan cheese as the finishing touch.

Arugula salad with pear and roasted walnuts topped with a fresh lime/olive oil vinaigrette.

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If you have never grown your own food, and you have the space at home to do it, I recommend it highly, even if you can only grow over a short period of the year.  The rewards far outweigh the effort required.  And don't be surprised if you get hooked.