Studies were conducted to investigate how harvest maturity influence fruit ripening processes to alleviate chilling injury (CI) in mangoes (cv. Tommy Atkins). Fruit at three stages of maturity, immature (M1), half-mature (M2) and mature (M3) were stored for 18 days at 5 o C and then at 1 or 3 days at 20 o C. M1 fruit succumbed to CI after 18 days at 5 o C, with symptoms increasing in severity upon warming. Low C 2 H 4 production, poor colour development, minor changes to fruit composition, insipid flavour and poor aroma revealed that fruit ripening was insufficient to reduce CI compared to M2 and M3 fruits. M2 and M3 fruits had higher C 2 H 4 production rates than M1 fruit and ripened normally with acceptable flavour and aroma after 18 days at 5 o C and 3 days at 20 o C. While M3 fruit had no CI symptoms, they were overripe and fruit decay incidence was 26.6%, compared to M2 fruit which had no decay, a trace of CI symptoms and possessed the best overall quality.