How to store papaya
Store whole, ripening, ripe, cut and frozen papaya according to its maturity and intended use.
Whole unripe papaya
Keep mature but unripe fruit at room temperature so normal ripening can continue. Refrigerating too early can slow the process and, under sufficiently cold conditions, papaya can suffer chilling injury. Place the fruit where it will not be crushed by heavier produce and check it each day as yellow colour develops. If you want to speed normal ripening, a paper bag can increase ethylene exposure, but it should not become a substitute for checking the fruit.
Whole ripe papaya
Once papaya reaches the colour, aroma and softness you prefer, refrigeration slows further softening. Handle ripe fruit carefully because pressure marks and bruises develop more easily as the flesh softens. Keep it away from foods that can crush it, and use the fruit before it becomes excessively soft or develops an off smell. A ripe papaya can continue changing in the refrigerator, just more slowly than it would at room temperature.
Cut papaya
Refrigerate cut papaya in a clean covered container. Use clean knives, boards and utensils so the stored fruit does not pick up contamination from raw meat or other foods. Large pieces usually hold their texture better than very small dice during storage. Discard fruit that develops mould, a fermented odour, leaking tissue or other clear signs of spoilage rather than trying to trim around extensive deterioration.
Freezing papaya
Frozen papaya works best for smoothies, frozen desserts, sauces and cooked preparations because thawing changes the firm texture of fresh flesh. Freeze pieces in a single layer first if you want them to remain separate, then transfer them to a freezer container. Label the container so older fruit gets used first. For recipes where appearance matters, add frozen papaya while still cold instead of expecting thawed pieces to look like freshly cut fruit.
Related papaya resources
How to ripen papaya · How to cut papaya · Papaya recipes