Papaya Milk and Papaya Milk Popsicles

TIL that when you google "papaya milk", the second hit that comes up is, "Does ready made papaya juice made boobs bigger?"  Wut?  Is that a thing?

I don't know if it does or not, but papaya milk will definitely make you happier.  It's a popular drink from Taiwan and only consists of papaya, milk, honey (or sugar), and ice.  Somehow, that simple combination makes a super yummy, refreshing tropical drink perfect for a hot summer day.  If you've never had one, you might be surprised at the complexity of the flavors; the slight bitterness of the papaya only accentuates the sweetness of the fruit (kind of like how a little salt can also bring out sweetness in desserts).  I prefer to use honey instead of sugar since sugar doesn't always dissolve as well in the cold drink.  I wish the flesh of the papaya I had gotten was more red than yellow since traditionally papaya milk is a pinkish-peach color, but I was afraid the papaya was going to spoil if I had let it ripen any longer!

I toyed with the idea of making a popsicle version of the drink, too.  Since the drink separates upon sitting, I decided to churn it first in my ice cream machine before filling the popsicle molds.  The resulting texture was more creamy than icy, probably also helped by not adding any ice to the popsicle base.  You'll want to add a lot more honey or sugar to the popsicle base since sweetness is a lot harder to taste once something is frozen.

Papaya Milk or Papaya Milk Popsicles
makes 4 smoothies or twelve 2 oz. popsicles

2 cups of cubed papaya
2 cups milk
Honey (or sugar), to taste
Ice (for the milkshake)

If making the smoothie, blend the papaya, milk, 2 tablespoons of honey, and a cup of ice.  Add more honey and/or ice depending on your own preferences.  Drink immediately.

If making the popsicles, blend the papaya, milk, and start with 4 tablespoons of honey.  Taste, and add more honey if needed, until it is almost too sweet.  Chill and then churn in the ice cream maker until mostly frozen (you can stop before it reaches soft serve consistency).  Fill your popsicle molds and freeze until hard.  Enjoy!

Next:  Low Country Boil
Previously:  Shashuka with Polenta
Last Year:  Bubble Tea Popsicles
Four Years Ago:  Coconut Lime Sorbet