Pawpaw is a sweet fruit treat that many countries and people worldwide seem not to know about. If youāre one of the lucky few that regularly has this fruit in your kitchen, do you know the best way to store it?
Can You Freeze Pawpaw?
Yes, you can freeze pawpaw for up to 6 months. Slice the fruit in half, scoop out the pulp and strain it to remove the seeds. Place the seedless pulp into an airtight container, and seal it. It can also be frozen into ice cubes.
Do Does Pawpaw freeze well? Yes
Can you refreeze Pawpaw? Yes
How to Freeze Pawpaw
Freezing pawpaw isn’t as straightforward as tossing it into the freezer. There are many parts of the fruit that you won’t want to eat. This is why you want to do the prep work before freezing it.
To freeze it properly, use this method:
- Clean: Ensure that the fruit youāre working with is clean, separated and trimmed of any bruised or damaged regions. The fruit is quite hardy, as is the skin, so you shouldnāt run into any issues.
- Remove Pulp: We now need to remove the pulp. The easy way to do this with a batch of fruit is to place a sieve over a large mixing bowl and line all the fruit up on a chopping board. Halve all the pieces of fruit, and then, using a dessert spoon, scoop the pulp, seeds included, out of the pawpaw and into the sieve.
- Strain: Press the pulp through the sieve with a spatula and into the bowl. You should be left with the seeds in the sieve.
- Discard Seeds: Throw the seeds away, and we can freeze the pulp – thatās what youāll be cooking with, anyway.
- Pop Into Containers: Transfer individual scoops of the pawpaw pulp into a small, airtight container. The container can be any size, of course, but selecting one with very little excess space is for the best.
- Remove Bubble: Once the pulp is in the container youāre using, press down on the surface of the pulp to be sure that any air bubbles within the pulp will be pressed out.
- Seal and Freeze: Finally, seal the container, being sure that thereās a little headroom for the pulp to expand into as it freezes.
- Freeze: Once the container is sealed, transfer it to your freezer. You may want to label it so you know exactly what it is in future.
3 Tips for Freezing Pawpaw
Now you know how to freeze it, we’ve got our 3 top tips which we strongly recommend following when freezing pawpaw to have the best results:
Ensure the Container is Sealed
Making sure that the container is sealed will make sure that the container doesnāt spill any of the fruit out into the freezer. This would be a sticky, frustrating mess, so avoiding it is wise.
Allow a Little Headroom
The pawpaw does contain some level of water. This means that we recommend allowing some extra space within the container since this will be space for the pawpaw to expand into, leading to a well-filled, not overflowing, container.
Strain the Pulp Well
Both the seeds and skin of the pawpaw are very disagreeable to the palette and the digestive system. So, ensure that you get rid of as much of them as possible, as that will prevent the generation of poor tastes as the pulp sits in the freezer.
How Long Can You Freeze Pawpaw?
You can freeze pawpaw for six months without any noticeable degradation in flavour or texture quality. You could probably freeze it for even longer if you eventual use for it will be in a smoothie.
Whole pawpaw will last for between 7 and 10 days in the fridge. Once cut, it should be kept on a covered plate or dish where it will last for only 2 to 3 days.
How Do You Defrost Pawpaw?
The simplest way to defrost pawpaw pulp is to place it in the fridge overnight.
Pawpaw pulp is commonly cooked with larger dishes or baked goods, so allowing for the pawpaw to thaw in advance is easy and effective.
Can You Refreeze Pawpaw?
Yes, you can refreeze pawpaw.
Refreezing the pawpaw is not only possible but a great way to ensure that the pawpaw is kept good for as long as possible.
Does Pawpaw Freeze Well?
Yes, pawpaw does freeze well. As with most fruit pulps, it doesnāt change texture in the freezer over time, allowing it to remain fairly constant while youāve got it.
Related FAQs
If youāve still got questions about freezing pawpaw or pawpaw in general, then these may help:
Yes, pawpaw can be frozen with other similar fruits, including papaya, pineapple, mango and dragon fruit. Try to cut all the fruit to the same size and then freeze them into portion-sized bags.
Yes, you can cut the flesh of pawpaw into cubes, freeze it on a lined baking tray and then when frozen solid, tip those frozen cubes into a freezer bag.
