Fermented Green Papaya. Recipe and How to Ferment Papaya

Fermented green papaya is a powerful probiotic. Here’s an easy fermented papaya recipe that shows you how to ferment papaya for salads by using salt and garlic.

Fermented foods contain enzymes, vitamins, minerals, and probiotics (friendly bacteria) that help keep the digestive system healthy. Some people also believe that eating fermented foods helps with weight loss and may even help prevent certain types of cancers. 

What Is Green Papaya?

Papaya is the fruit produced by the Carica papaya plant. Green papaya is unripe papaya that you can find in your local greengrocer or supermarket. Green papaya is a fruit that has green skin and white flesh on the inside. It is typically eaten in Thai salads and curries. It has a crunchy texture and mild flavor that makes it a versatile ingredient in both sweet and savory dishes.

The green papaya is a Southeast Asian tropical fruit that is popular in the United States for its health benefits. The green papaya is a good source of dietary fiber, vitamin C, E, A, folate, magnesium, potassium and antioxidant properties.

Green papaya contains an enzyme called papain, which can help ease digestion issues like constipation and bloating. It also aids in tenderizing meat proteins and dressing skin ulcers. Papain can also be found in other plants, such as pineapple.

How To Ferment Papaya

Fermented Papaya Equipment

• 1 large bowl
• 1 sharp knife or mandolin slicer 
• 1 clean mason jar or fermenting crock

Fermented Green Papaya Ingredients

• 1 large green papaya
• 1 tablespoon celtic sea salt per kilo of papaya
• 4 cloves garlic – finely chopped 
• 1 quart of filtered water

Fermented Green Papaya Method

1. Cut the green papaya in half and remove the seeds.
2. Grate, shred, or chop the green papaya using either a mandolin slicer or sharp knife.
3. Mix shredded green papaya with the salt and garlic and squeeze firmly until liquid forms at bottom of the bowl.
4. Pack tightly into a fermenting jar, making sure that liquid covers the papaya completely as it is important to keep them below the salt water brine, as explained in our article on grape leaves alternatives for pickles.
5. Add filtered water as needed to completely submerge your shredded papaya, leaving about 1-1.5 inches from the mouth of the jar.
6. Cover with a tea towel and strap it down with a rubber band. Leave to ferment for a few days in a dark, well-ventilated, and dry environment. Keep away from direct sunlight.
7. Taste test every 24 hours until the fermented green papaya has reached your desired taste. Finally, store it in the refrigerator to decelerate fermentation.
8. Use as condiments or additions to your rice or salad dishes for a sweet and savory taste. Enjoy!

Fermented Green Papaya Summary

We hope this post has encouraged you to use our fermented papaya recipe at home. Now, you can include fermented green papaya or other fermented vegetables from our lacto fermented pickled zucchini recipe in your diet to keep your gut flora and immune system healthy.

One of our tips on how to ferment papaya is to remove the seeds to avoid bitterness in your fermented papaya recipe. The fermentation time will differ in winter compared to summer.

In winter it may take longer (1-2 weeks) whereas in summer it can take only a few days. Taste every 24 hours to reach your desired taste, then bottle it and refrigerate to slow down the fermentation process.

Using filtered water is important to avoid killing the lactobacillus bacteria that is needed to ferment our papaya. Chlorine tends to be present in our drinking water and that indiscriminately kills all bacteria. Bringing your tap water to a full boil, then leaving for it to cool down will get rid of the chlorine as it evaporates into the air. Leave the water to completely cool down before using it for our fermented papaya recipe.

Using a fermenting jar like the Primal Pickler with an airlock will give a much more consistent result as it allows the gases produced during fermentation out, without allowing additional air or bacteria in.