In warm weather unripe fruits will ripen quickly if left at room temperature. To hasten ripening in cool weather, enclose them in a paper bag or ripening howl (a covered, transparent bowl with a perforated lid).
To ripen tomatoes that have been picked entirely green, wrap each one in newspaper and store in a cool, dry place, such as a cellar. Check their condition every few days.
The following will help you judge when certain fruits are ready to eat:
- Apricot: evenly golden; slightly soft.
- Avocado: resilient but still firm; test at the stem end.
- Banana: uniformly golden; green at the tips for a tarter flavor; lightly flecked with brown for a sweeter taste.
- Citrus fruits: no green showing.
- Kiwi: resilient but still firm.
- Mango: ripens from the center out, so test with a toothpick; pick should slide easily through rind and fruit.
- Melons: sweet aroma and slight softening at the bud end.
- Papaya: fruity to the nose and slightly soft. Peach and nectarine: aromatic and soft but not mushy.
- Pear: resilient but still firm.
- Pineapple: fruity aroma: deep golden color; a leaf pulls out easily.
- Tomato: uniform, deep red; slightly soft but not mushy.
Fully ripe fruits will keep a few days in the refrigerator (citrus fruits longer). Tropical fruits, such as bananas, will darken but remain edible.