Buy Perfect Papayas: Simple Tips to Pick Sweet, Ripe Fruit Every Time

• Choose papayas with more yellow or orange color; green indicates unripe fruit.
• Look for a slightly shiny, moderately soft skin; avoid hard or rough surfaces.
• Gently press the fruit: a slight give means ripe, hard means unripe, too soft means decaying.
• Smell near the stem for a sweet fragrance, indicating ripeness.
• Select papayas that feel heavier for their size, suggesting more flesh and juice; small yellow/brown spots are good signs.