Sweet Candied Papaya(Cape Verde) - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 lbs almost ripe papayas
1 lb sugar
4 cloves
1 cinnamon stick
4 cups water
1 lemon, grated zest

Preparation

Peel the papaya, remove the seeds and cut the flesh either into strips or into 1\" cubes.
Combine the water and sugar in a large pot. Heat until the sugar has dissolved then add the papaya pieces along with the cinnamon stick, cloves and lemon zest. Bring to a boil and cook over medium heat without stirring until the sugar becomes a thick syrup (about 20 minutes boiling).
At this point take the pan off the heat and set aside until cooled to room temperature.
Turn the papaya and syrup mixture into a jar and store in the refrigerator. It is typically served as a dessert with cottage (farmer's) cheese or yoghurt.