My dear friend Gail, loves the islands and spends at least 6 months a year on her boat here. I remember when she planted the seeds of a papaya she and her mate had devoured on board. Nothing to waste.
Papayas are native to tropical rain forests and the Caribbean. I had never even seen one, or taken a taste of one until I ventured very far south.
I remember when Gail's seeds became 2 inch seedlings, basking in the sun on the upper deck of her Grand Banks boat.
I remember when she planned to plant them on shore at Compass Cay in 2008.
This year, I discovered that they had taken root and grown. Two out of 12 flourished, which is not bad when you just put them in the dirt and walk away.
See what they look like today:
I traded two bottles of my homemade Maine Blueberry Jam for a fresh papaya off the tallest tree. It will be a couple more days before I get to serve it up at breakfast. Can't wait!
Do these delicacies grow where you live? Do you eat them as is, or make marmalade of the green ones? I have heard of using them in ceviche recipes. I am all ears--do tell.
Tonight the clocks "spring forward" one hour. If you are working the night shift, lucky you. If you don't want to miss church in the morning, reset your clocks before bed tonight. See you in the morning, Blogging Buddies. Sleep tight and don't let the bed bugs bite. :)
Papayas are native to tropical rain forests and the Caribbean. I had never even seen one, or taken a taste of one until I ventured very far south.
I remember when Gail's seeds became 2 inch seedlings, basking in the sun on the upper deck of her Grand Banks boat.
I remember when she planned to plant them on shore at Compass Cay in 2008.
This year, I discovered that they had taken root and grown. Two out of 12 flourished, which is not bad when you just put them in the dirt and walk away.
See what they look like today:
I traded two bottles of my homemade Maine Blueberry Jam for a fresh papaya off the tallest tree. It will be a couple more days before I get to serve it up at breakfast. Can't wait!
Do these delicacies grow where you live? Do you eat them as is, or make marmalade of the green ones? I have heard of using them in ceviche recipes. I am all ears--do tell.
Tonight the clocks "spring forward" one hour. If you are working the night shift, lucky you. If you don't want to miss church in the morning, reset your clocks before bed tonight. See you in the morning, Blogging Buddies. Sleep tight and don't let the bed bugs bite. :)
6 comments:
That's so neat- I can't believe how big they are after 4/5 years.
Yep, they are common in most Malaysian backyards but I'm not really a fan of the fruit - it kinda smells like cat poop! We usually eat the ripe ones as they are and the unripened ones are either pickled or made into salad.
That's so cool to be able to give back to the world like that. I hope you enjoy your trade!
I don't grow them here, but I enjoy them fresh from the market! To pluck one from a tree would be a dream! Hope you share your recipes you gather!
Hugs~
Hi Rosemary. Fresh Papaya - how wonderful. I can't believe how tall they've grown. No, we certainly don't have them growing on trees around our way!!! Thank you so much for your lovely comment on my International Womens' Day post :)
I'm happy to say that we can grow papayas in southern California!
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