Papaya seeds of several varieties of Carica papaya are easy to germinate and are offered from GreenDealer Exotic Seeds including: Golden Yellow Papaya, Mountain Papaya (Carica pubescens), Waimanolo Papaya (Carica waimanolo), Hawaiian Solo Papaya and Tropical Dwarf Papaya are some more varieties of Carica that are available from the GreenDealer selection of Tropical Fruit Seeds, and Tropical Rainforest Seeds. The first three photos shown here were taken in Liberia, Costa Rica, in June of 1999. This is the typical foliage and fruit structure that is similar to all Carica species. The photos below showing the fruit of two varieties of Papaya were photographed at my home in Louisville, in September of 1998. Some recipes are offered and a link to germinating instructions is at the bottom of the page.

Golden Red Papaya Carica Papaya

Big Red, Big Papa, Jumbo Papaya Carica Papaya

Jumbo Red Papayas gown in the Philippines by Dell Johnson

Purée pieces of papaya in a blender, add a few dashes of soy sauce and a couple dashes of lime juice. Add this juice to a bowl and stir in crushed garlic, chopped onion, chopped chilés, bay leaf, and oregano and pour over meat in the bowl to be used for marinating. Addition of a cup of wine is optional. Marinate meat in the mixture with a piece of plastic wrap secured over the top of bowl. Leave in refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight. Turn contents of bowl once during marinating process. Blot meat dry on paper towels, and brown in a Tablespoon or two of olive oil on high heat. When meat has been browned pour the marinade mixture from the bowl over the meat and cook in a large covered iron pot on top of stove (low to medium heat) until tender.

Chop and mix fruit in a food processor or blender with a tray of ice, a little bit at a time, finally blending until smooth. Use all Papaya or experiment with combinations of melon, banana, orange or mango. It is a very filling summertime refreshment - something like a milk shake but no sugar or dairy products are used.