How to store exotic fruit

There is a common misconception about exotic fruit: that all of it belongs in the fridge. In fact much tropical produce is damaged by cold — the texture breaks down and the aroma stalls before it develops. This is known as chilling injury.

If you want to speed ripening up

• Keep out of the fridge: Kiwano, sweet potato, and mango, avocado and papaya while still firm. Ripen these at room temperature.
• Fridge once ripe: Mango, avocado, papaya and dragon fruit will keep a few more days in the cold after ripening.
• Straight into the fridge: Raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, golden berries, asparagus and limes.
• Cool, dry cupboard: Whole coconut and tamarind still in the pod.
• Wrapped in paper, in the crisper: Fresh ginger and fresh turmeric — a plastic bag traps moisture and speeds up mould.

Put a firm mango or avocado in a paper bag with a banana. The ethylene the banana gives off will noticeably accelerate ripening. The reverse also holds: keep anything you do not want ripening yet away from bananas.