Ripening Guide for Exotic Fruits

Passion Fruit

Allow unripe passion fruits to ripen at room temperature until the skin wrinkles and the fruit yields to gentle pressure.

Mangoes

Ripen unripe mangoes at room temperature in a paper bag to speed up the process. Squeeze gently to judge ripeness. Certain varieties of mangoes may turn a deep golden color and small wrinkles may appear when totally ripe (Ataulfo), in some varieties the skin may turn slightly yellow (Haden) but in other varieties there may be no visual cues and the skin remains green when ripe (Keith). So the touch test and in the case of varieties such as Alphonso or other Happus varieties, the smell test. Additional tip: The age-old practice of soaking mangoes for some time before eating. helps in removing the heat from the mangoes through the process of thermogenesis. Eating mangoes without soaking them might cause digestive problems such as loose motions.

Cherimoya

Cherimoyas can be ripened at room temperature, but refrigeration slows down the process. Lightly squeeze it, and it will feel soft (like a ripe mango). If the cherimoya is hard, it's not ready to eat. A ripe cherimoya might also have a cracked open stem (the juice might already be coming out a bit). When it's ripe, the greenish skin should have some darker brown areas.

Sapote (Chikoo)

Sapotas can continue to ripen at room temperature, but refrigeration can extend their shelf life. Use your hands to touch the covering of the chikoo and see if it's soft or stiff. The softer ones are generally ripe and juicier, whereas the ones with stiffer covering are not properly ripe. You can also gently poke the chikoo with your finger to understand the texture.

White Guava

White guavas can ripen at room temperature, and refrigeration can slow down the process. There are several varieties of guavas, some are ripe and ready to eat even with the skin still a light green, such as Thai guavas.  Some varieties may turn a light yellow and will likely develop some brown spots (which is totally fine) and be slightly soft to the touch. Place a finger on opposite sides of the fruit and squeeze, you should feel some resistance but not much. 

Dragon Fruit

Ripe when picked. Eat or refrigerate right away. When ripe, dragon fruit have a bright pink color and smooth skin. The skin should have few brown spots. Squeeze it slightly; if it's firm and hard, it's not yet ripe. If it is softer (but not too soft) and the flesh gives slightly when squeezed, it's a good sign that it's perfectly ripe.