Mangos

Look for a mango that:

• Is full, plump, and rounded
• Has a sweet fruity aroma at the stem end
• Is firm but gives slightly to the touch
• Has a few small wrinkles

Always judge a mango’s ripeness by feel, not color. A ripe mango feels like a ripe avocado or peach. A few wrinkles are good, but a mango covered with wrinkles is probably over-ripe. Mangos with brown spots or speckles are usually fine, but steer clear of those with a sour or alcohol-like aroma.

As long as it does not have a sour or alcohol-like aroma, a mango does not have to perfectly meet all the criteria above to be edible or usable in a recipe. The closer it is to meeting these guidelines, however, the higher its quality should be.

Notes

Allow ½ cup per person served. One average-sized mango typically contains one cup of cubed mango.

After You Get Your Mango Home

A mango should continue to ripen at room temperature, so store your unripe mangos at room temperature. You can hasten ripening by placing your mangos in a paper bag at room temperature. If a mango is not ripe in five to seven days, it probably will not ripen further.

Once the mango is ripe, eat or store it uncut in the refrigerator for up to four days. Cut mango can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to two days or frozen for up to six months.

To freeze, cover and freeze cubed or sliced mango in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Then transfer the frozen pieces to an airtight sealed container and storing in the freezer for up to six months. You also can puree ripe mangos in a blender or food processor, pack them in containers leaving head room, and freeze for up to six months. Freezing pureed mango may be the preferred method, because mango pieces can be mushy when defrosted.