Mangos are delicious, but they can be kind of intimidating to cut because they have a large pit in the center. If you know a trick or two, they can actually be very easy to work with.
Picking out a great Mango
Look for Mangoes that are:
- football shaped and plump
- heavy for its size
- firm = unripe mangos. Firm but with a little “give” = ripe mangos (a firm mango is a good choice if you don’t plan to eat for a few days. If you need to use it immediately find one that is a little bit softer)
- Ripe mangos will sometimes smell sweet around the stem
Note: Unless, they are really green and firm, color doesn’t really matter as much because there are many different varieties and colors of mangos.
Ripening and Storing Mangos:
- Keep unripe mangos at room temperature. Never refrigerate mangos before they are ripe.
- To speed up ripening, place in a brown bag at room temperature. Put a banana in with it for even faster ripening.
- Once ripe, move mango to the fridge until ready to use.
- You can also freeze cut up mango in an airtight container for up to six months.
CUTTING THE MANGO:
1. Mangos are kind of oval so you will want to stand it up the “long way,” stem to stem. Then find the wider sides and slice downward just before you hit the large pit. Then you slice down the skinnier sides to get two smaller strips.
2. Take the large chunks you just cut off and make thin slices down the length of flesh, without cutting through the skin. Then slice around the edge of the skin. Scoop the flesh out with a large spoon, just like you would and avocado. This will make pretty slices.
3. To dice or cube, make slices perpendicular to the long slices. Pop inside out like the picture shows. Slice off the cubes. Remove the flesh from the narrow pieces.
Need ideas for using a mango??? Try these:
…and coming up in the next post: MANGO COLADA!!!
you should have worked food services!!