How to enjoy this fruit
A long green fruit covered in small, tightly fitted scales, a little like a green corn cob.
Never force off attached scales or eat firm, unripe flesh: it can irritate your mouth and throat. Stop eating if it feels prickly or causes burning.
Read the ripeness guide before tasting. Enjoy a small portion at a time.
When it’s ready
It ripens in sections, usually from the stem end towards the tip. Wait until the scales fall away by themselves and the exposed white flesh is soft, fragrant and comes away from the central core easily. One ripe section does not mean the whole fruit is ready.
How to eat it
Gently lift away only the fully ripe, exposed flesh with a fork or spoon. Leave covered or resistant sections to ripen further. The flavour is sweet and tropical, often compared with pineapple and banana. Discard the scales and central core.
How to store it
Rest the fruit on a plate indoors, out of direct sunlight. Check it daily. Refrigerate flesh taken from fully ripe sections in a covered container and enjoy soon.