Papaya seeds are safe to eat as is, with no soaking, cooking, or drying required. However, they can be slightly bitter, so they may work best paired with other ingredients to help balance the flavor.

Consider adding them to salad dressings, sauces, and marinades or throwing them into your favorite smoothie recipes, like our calming papaya smoothie. You can also try baking and grinding them for an easy swap for black pepper that packs some fiber.

The best way to get your hands on them is by simply slicing open a papaya and scooping out the seeds. Store your seeds in an airtight container and keep them in the fridge to help maximize their shelf life. Be sure to enjoy in moderation and stick to a few servings of papaya seeds per day, or around 2 to 3 ounces total.

Saving your papaya seeds instead of tossing them is a great way to cut back on food waste, as they make up around 15% to 20%12 of the total weight of each fruit. Besides papaya seeds, there are many other edible seeds that are also often discarded. In fact, the seeds of watermelon, squash blossoms, and pomegranates can all work well as tasty, nutritious, and sustainable snacks.