Green Papaya - Certified Organic

Green papaya is harvested before ripening and in this form it is a completely different ingredient from the sweet orange-fleshed fruit most people know. Crisp, neutral and mildly flavoured, it acts as the perfect canvas for bold dressings and is the cornerstone of one of Southeast Asia's most beloved dishes, green papaya salad. Grown at Conscious Ground in the Byron Bay hinterland by May, whose Vietnamese heritage and deep knowledge of traditional food inform everything grown on the farm. Green papaya is both a culinary staple and a plant with a long medicinal history across Southeast Asia. If you would like it to ripen to a sweet orange-fleshed fruit, simply leave it on your bench for a few days. 1 whole fruit is approx 600-900g. How to use: Shred with a mandoline or julienne peeler for Thai green papaya salad (som tam) with lime, fish sauce, chilli and peanuts. Julienne and toss through Vietnamese-style salads with fresh herbs and a nuoc cham dressing. Slow-cook in curries and soups, it absorbs flavour beautifully and holds its texture. Stir-fry with garlic, oyster sauce and chilli as a simple side dish. Leave to ripen on the bench for 3 to 5 days and eat sweet, slice, add a squeeze of lime and enjoy. Traditional notes: Green papaya has been used across Southeast Asian traditional medicine for generations, valued for digestive enzymes including papain, and consumed to support gut health and recovery. May grows it as both food and medicine, a distinction that barely exists in the traditions she draws from. How to store: Store at room temperature if you plan to ripen it, or refrigerate for up to a week to keep it firm for cooking. Once cut, wrap tightly and refrigerate, use within 2 to 3 days. Grown by May and Richard at Conscious Ground, Myocum NSW. SXC Certified Organic No. 25227. Follow their story at consciousground.com and @consciousground on Instagram.