How to Make Dulce de Papaya (Candied Papaya) - Easy Puerto Rican Recipe

If you ever visited your abuelita in Puerto Rico, there's a 100% chance that she tried to feed you some dulce de papaya (aka dulce de lechosa, candied papaya). And now, so that you can pass that tradition on in the family, we want to show you how to make this delicious, sweet treat. And this recipe is super easy!
Check out our blog with ingredients and step-by-step here: www.jeffandjopr.com/post/dulc...
Ingredients:
1 medium semi-ripe papaya (~2.5 lbs)
8 cups of water
2 tbs baking soda
4 cups sugar
1 cup water
1 cinnamon stick
5 cloves
⅛ tsp salt
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[@hannahtryon794]

Thank you so for making this video!!!!!! I made it for my 91 year old Puerto Rican abuelita and impressed her!!!!! She said it was “delicioso, el mejor que a tenido”. Thank you for helping earn street cred with my abuelita who is one of the best cooks I know 😍❤️ AND I made too much so I hot water canned it and it turned out great!

[@JeffandJosPuertoRicanKitchen]

That’s awesome

[@edrodriguez3922]

So many memories of my grandmother making this when I was a child.

[@JeffandJosPuertoRicanKitchen]

Same here

[@Dollywood623]

It's also called dulce de lechosa. My grandmother used to make it during the holidays and use as a topping for arroz dulce. She even sent jars of this delicious treat to our families in the states. Which, by the way, they fought over lol

[@JeffandJosPuertoRicanKitchen]

Oh wow! Dulce de lechosa y arroz con dulce together!! That sounds like a great combination!

[@ElizabethSambu]

Yummy 😋😋😋 I like it.from Philippines.🥰

[@rosamatias6559]

Thank you! I'm from PR & I always do it in a different recipe. Also taught my grands how to make it. Love it served with white cheese of preference, but there's none like the Puertorican one.

[@SuperAnlei]

I watched a lot of videos on how to make this dessert and this one is the best! Extremely well done 👏🏽 And, I really appreciate the explanation at the end. Thank you so much! God bless you!

[@mannynieves6533]

Thank you 😊. For the amazing and authentic Puerto Rican dishes. Incredible and well explained videos. Love your KZbin channel

[@JeffandJosPuertoRicanKitchen]

Thank you so much!!

[@auroradejesus5667]

Thank you! I’ve learned so much from you both! 💕 Love your videos! You and wife are AMAZING ! 😉 🇵🇷🇵🇷🇵🇷 yummy papaya 😋

[@JeffandJosPuertoRicanKitchen]

Thanks so much!! Glad you enjoyed 😄😄

[@rosefernandez9960]

WEPAAAA! Bóricas forever! I loved this video and became an instant subscriber! Dios te bendiga! 💖🙏🏻

[@JeffandJosPuertoRicanKitchen]

Muchisimas gracias! Bendiciones para usted tambien!

[@normasanchez4614]

Desde que descubrí sus videos, me la paso cocinando. Las recetas son súper bien presentadas y tan claras que cualquiera puede cocinar con ustedes. Buen trabajo! 👌🏻

[@JeffandJosPuertoRicanKitchen]

Wow!! Que alegria ver comentarios como este! Muchísimas gracias!!

[@donnaambrose1234]

Great explanation! I'm gonna try both techniques and the different papaya as well. Thank you!

[@JeffandJosPuertoRicanKitchen]

You’re welcome

[@lonioliveira874]

How awesome!! Thank you!

[@JeffandJosPuertoRicanKitchen]

Yay! Glad you enjoyed it!

[@DarthAzrel]

I usually like to make mine with brown sugar, especially dark brown sugar. Goes good with cream cheese as well. 😎👍

[@JeffandJosPuertoRicanKitchen]

Yum!!!

[@trustgod6194]

Tonight is the 1st time i really check you up and it got me back when mami use to do it. Jehovah thank you for this executive chef. Jehovah is the supreme chef because he creates chefs for his glory. All recetas are wonderful. Simple. When you are in dc let me know.

[@JeffandJosPuertoRicanKitchen]

Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed :)

[@gloriajuceam8146]

Thank you for a well explained recipe! I will be cooking this Papaya I got today!!!

[@JeffandJosPuertoRicanKitchen]

Nice!

[@rosaguzman2791]

Love dulce de papaya god bless

[@JeffandJosPuertoRicanKitchen]

Blessings! We love it too!!!

[@Rosa-wj8uz]

Hello! The texture (with the baking soda) is like french fries. Crispy on the outside and tender in the inside. Love it that way. Thank you!

[@JeffandJosPuertoRicanKitchen]

You are welcome!!

[@johnpick8336]

Thank you very much.!

[@JeffandJosPuertoRicanKitchen]

Thank you for watching!

[@tripeeblonde8309]

I made this easily w your video - soooo yummy -ty

[@JeffandJosPuertoRicanKitchen]

Thank you!! ❤️

[@classybooty]

Hey you mentioned Orlando. I also live in Orlando would like to see you sometime. Sad to say I am a great cook but now have ALS and can’t walk. So my cooking has stopped. Enjoy seeing you cook everything PR on KZbin.

[@JeffandJosPuertoRicanKitchen]

Yeah, we live just north of Orlando. Sorry to hear about the ALS 😢 But glad we are able to share our love for Puerto Rican food together on KZbin!

[@KiquesJungle]

Like your recipe and your explanation very clear. I cut a papaya tree and have a lot of green papayas hehe, and didnt know what to do with all of them! now I know how to do this dulce with some of those papayas hehe Thanks!

[@JeffandJosPuertoRicanKitchen]

Thats awesome! Don't throw them away!!

[@KiquesJungle]

Hi@@JeffandJosPuertoRicanKitchen , I already did the recipe and as my first time I think is great!, I just change with less sugar but I notice the water evaporate completely when have 50 minutes of cooking time, maybe because the less sugar?, but I love it so I will practice it again! Thanks!

[@Localplayz123]

Thank you!!! I tried the recipe and is very simple to follow. I do think that the 4 cups of sugar was a little bit too much. But everybody loved at home. 👍

[@JeffandJosPuertoRicanKitchen]

You are very welcome! This is traditionally very very sweet, it ends up being like a syrup but feel free to add less next time. I highly suggest eating it with the cheese to cut through some of the sweetness.

[@Alina-ws6ob]

I like to blend it till very smooth and use on pancakes, peanut butter sandwiches and on toast.

[@JeffandJosPuertoRicanKitchen]

Oh interesting! Like a jam

[@juanafernandez6186]

I'm from Dominican Republic. I love the traditional papaya recipe, but I being craving the dry candy from my region in moca in the DR. It is a dry big piece of papaya crunchy in the outside, and tender and moist inside, and then it is dip in regular white sugar. It is a mouthwatering way to eat the papaya as a dessert If anyone knows the recipe please share it. Thank you!!

[@JeffandJosPuertoRicanKitchen]

We don’t but hope someone shares it with you!

[@coronellopez7908]

Candied Papayas! Nice! Are there other dishes like salads with green papaya in PR cuisine??

[@JeffandJosPuertoRicanKitchen]

Not really, but great question. We had never seen green papaya in a salad until we spent time in Southeast Asia.

[@nidalshehahadeh7485]

Where is the small squeeze of lemon juice ? that is what was on my mind as I was watching you cooking it , it goes without asking different tastes with the use of different types of sugars such as coconut sugar . now for some devilish temptation 🙈🙉🙊. close your eyes and imagine a Danish papaya . I have about 10 different varieties on about 11 different trees and I was wondering what to do with them now I have an idea , the only addition that I'm going to do is what we used to do in the old country Palestine which is pouring about quarter of an inch melting beeswax on top of the Jam in the jar under the lid to preserve it without Refrigeration for a long time .

[@JeffandJosPuertoRicanKitchen]

Oh wow! Never knew there were so many different varieties

[@samhozen4024]

how to get it dry like when you buy in the packet ?it seems to be covered with some type of sugar powder?can you confirm?thanks jeff

[@JeffandJosPuertoRicanKitchen]

Hi there! Not sure what you are referring for. Can you provide more context? Thanks!

[@lourdesbrown8774]

Can you do this with pineapple as well? Use the same technique and ingredient measurements or will the pineapple break down to much?

[@JeffandJosPuertoRicanKitchen]

We have never tried making it or eaten it before. Let us know how it goes if you decide to try it

[@indrasirrikissoon250]

I will prefer doing this recipe using the baking soda. I just love the total outcome

[@JeffandJosPuertoRicanKitchen]

Thank you for the feedback!

[@sharondavies5050]

Thank you. I think this might be the same as glace fruit. Do you know if this is another name for it?

[@JeffandJosPuertoRicanKitchen]

We have never heard glace fruit. People also call it dulce de lechosa in Puerto Rico.

[@sharondavies5050]

@@JeffandJosPuertoRicanKitchen Thank you. I'll have to try it so I can let you know. 🙂

[@kareemawad35]

would Stevia sweetener work as well? Or only real sugar?

[@JeffandJosPuertoRicanKitchen]

I haven't tried it with Stevia, but my instinct is that it wouldn't work. The sugar is important because it preserves the papaya by pulling water out of the papaya. And I don't think the Stevia would do the same. But if anyone else on the channel has more experience with this we'd love to hear about it!

[@easyshot23]

Would you pair this with a queso fresco or a mozzarella?

[@JeffandJosPuertoRicanKitchen]

We would go w queso fresco for sure!! It’s a wonderful combination 😋

[@hannahtryon794]

I love it with cream cheese!

[@ostrav24]

Can you use jaggery instead of sugar?

[@JeffandJosPuertoRicanKitchen]

We have never tried it. The recipe traditionally uses sugar.

[@HolisticBanana333]

What’s the purpose of soaking it in baking soda for 20 mins ?

[@methatronn]

The soaking in baking soda is to make the fruit harder to withstand all the boiling, if you don’t soak it it will fall apart.

[@nataleeprout6303]

Could you use panela instead of white sugar?

[@JeffandJosPuertoRicanKitchen]

You can! We have not tried it with panela so I would try it and adjust to make sure that is the right sweetness

[@constancelcooper-thurston4279]

Ok HOW MUCH SUGAR?,

[@JeffandJosPuertoRicanKitchen]

Quantities are in the video description- 4 cups of sugar

[@saltymum]

try adding red pepper flakes.

[@JeffandJosPuertoRicanKitchen]

Thanks for the suggestion

[@aurorascookings8654]

What's the life spam?

[@JeffandJosPuertoRicanKitchen]

It has a lot of sugar so pretty long

[@sarazamot3042]

That is not authentic

[@JeffandJosPuertoRicanKitchen]

Why is that?