Kiwi

Green kiwi fruit with the sharp, almost fizzy acidity that either suits you or does not. We send them firm, because a kiwi ripens perfectly well in a fruit bowl and a soft one does not survive the van.

Halved and eaten with a spoon is the simplest way. Sliced into a fruit salad it holds its shape and its colour better than most soft fruit. One thing worth knowing: kiwi contains an enzyme that breaks down protein, so it will turn a milk-based dessert or a set jelly to liquid, and it is very good as a meat tenderiser for exactly the same reason.

Choose fruit with no dents or wet patches. A ripe kiwi yields to gentle thumb pressure the way a ripe peach does.

Counter until it softens, then the fridge to hold it there. To speed it up, put it in a paper bag with a banana for a day.

One to two weeks in the fridge once ripe.