Short answer: usually, yes — and it's on purpose.
Why we ship firm
Most tropical fruit is picked and shipped before it reaches peak ripeness. A perfectly ripe mango or cherimoya simply won't survive a cross-country trip — it would arrive bruised. Shipping firm means the fruit finishes ripening on your counter instead of in a box, and you get to catch it at exactly the moment you want it.
So a hard mango, a firm avocado, or a cherimoya that doesn't give when you press it isn't a problem. It's a few days early.
How to ripen it
Leave the fruit at room temperature, out of direct sun.
Don't refrigerate unripe tropical fruit. Cold stops the ripening process, sometimes permanently, and can leave the flesh dull or discolored.
To speed things up, place the fruit in a paper bag — the natural ethylene it gives off gets trapped and works faster. Adding a banana to the bag speeds it up further.
Once it's ripe, move it to the fridge to hold it a few extra days.
Most fruit needs somewhere between 2 and 5 days on the counter, though it varies quite a bit by variety and by how warm your kitchen runs.
How to tell when it's ready
Check the product page for the specific fruit you ordered — each one has its own tells. As a general rule, look for gentle give when you press near the stem, a deepening color, and a sweet aroma at the stem end.
When it's actually a problem
Reach out to us if you see:
Soft, dark, or sunken spots that leak when pressed
Visible mold
A fermented or sour smell
Split or crushed skin from transit
Fruit that shrivels or dries out instead of softening
Any of those, send us a photo within 24 hours of delivery and we'll take care of it under the Arrive Fresh Guarantee.
Still not sure?
Send a photo anyway. Chat with us here, email [email protected], or call (786) 758-4787. We look at fruit all day — we're happy to tell you what you're looking at.