How to Extract Papain

Papaya is not just a fruit. Extracted from the ripe green papaya, or "pawpaw", is an enzyme called papain. Papain is used worldwide to make bread, cheese or alcohol. It's also used as an alternative treatment for various health conditions ranging from pain to digestive difficulty. Extracting papain takes precision.

Things You'll Need

• Unripe green papaya
• Utility knife with stainless steel razor blade
• Stainless steel spoon
• Oven-safe bowl or dish
• Vacuum oven
• Plastic container with lid
• Plastic wrap

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Instructions

• 1

  Wait until a day with high humidity. Low humidity will restrict the flow of papain latex.

• 2

  Make a slit no deeper than 2 mm down the side of a green papaya that's just shy of fully ripening, from the top to the bottom. Avoid cutting into the meat of the papaya; just cut the skin.

• 3

  Hold the papaya over your plastic container for five to 10 minutes to collect the latex, without squeezing the fruit, which will cause the juice to fall too.

• 4

  Set your oven to between 95 to 104 degrees Fahrenheit and place your collection bowl or dish inside. Close the door.

• 5

  Leave the papain extract in the oven for about five hours, until it's visibly dried.

• 6

  Remove the bowl or dish from the oven and use a clean, stainless-steel spoon to scrape the papain into a plastic container lined with plastic wrap.

• 7

  Place a lid tightly over the plastic container for an airtight seal, and allow the papain to dry for an additional few hours in a shady location.