DATE: Wednesday, June 11, 1997              TAG: 9706100032

SECTION: FLAVOR                  PAGE: F5   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY BETTY DOUGLASS, CORRESPONDENT 

                                            LENGTH:   43 lines

``FRUIT OF ANGELS'' MAKES LUSCIOUS DESSERTS

THE PAPAYA is cultivated in tropical or semitropical areas around the world, including Florida, Hawaii, India, Malaysia, China, Japan and the Philippines. It has been called the melon that grows on trees and the ``fruit of angels.''

The commercial variety common in the United States is the Solo papaya, says Jane Horn in her book ``Cooking A to Z.'' This papaya is a pear-shaped, smooth-skinned fruit that is usually about 6 inches long and 3 to four inches wide at the bottom. It usually weighs between 1 and 2 pounds.

This skin of a papaya is green when picked but, like other tree fruits, can ripen after harvest. When ripe, a papaya skin turns a vivid yellow-orange and the melon-like flesh is orange or salmon in color.

If you open a papaya, you'll see a large seed cavity with many tiny black seeds that look like caviar. Although the seeds are edible, they are usually discarded, says Horn.

Papayas can be served raw or cooked, pureed and made into sherbets or sorbets. As a dessert, papaya adds richness to puddings and tarts.

Availability: Papayas are available year round, but the best selection is in the summer months. Choose papayas that are yellow and have an an enticing fragrance. You can buy slightly green papayas if at least one-third of the fruit is yellow. They will ripen in three to five days if left at room temperature.

Ripe papayas give slightly to gentle pressure. Avoid fruit with dark spots or ones with a softness at the stem end, as this is the first sign of decay.

Preparation: To eat raw, cut the papaya in half and scoop out the black seeds. Cut into slices or cubes and serve with a sprinkle of lime juice. One medium papaya yields about 1 1/2 cups fruit. MEMO: Betty Douglass is a free-lance food writer and home economist in

Portsmouth. All recipes in this article have been kitchen-tested by the

author. ILLUSTRATION: FILE

Papayas can be served raw or cooked, or pureed and made into

sherbets or sorbets.

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