With spring here and summer right around the corner, many of us are probably in the mood to celebrate with some summer-themed foods for our cookouts. Aside from pool parties and backyard barbecues, sometimes summer simply means that the produce we bay changes with new things that are in season. We may start craving lighter, fruitier foods that can quench our thirst a little bit as we eat them. One of those foods is a deliciously ripe mango.
Although mangoes are definitely a great summer snack, they can be tricky to pick from the grocery store. How do we know which one is the right one? Beyond that, they can also be tricky to prepare properly when we get them home.
With that in mind, we’re bringing you the complete guide to picking and cutting the perfect mango.
Picking The Mango:
1. Touch the outside.
As it turns out, mangoes are relatively similar to avocados when it comes to structure and texture. Just like avocados, you’ll want to gently feel the outside to get a sense of how ripe it is. A ripe mango will be just slightly soft to the touch not not soft into for your fingers to sink right in. Still, timing is everything here. If you want a mango to eat that day, picking one on the softer side is ok. If you plan on saving it for a few days, you could even go with one that isn’t all the way ripe yet.
2. Look at the rind.
If you’re taking a general look at the mango, it should be football-shaped and it should be relatively plump and round. Do your best to avoid the flatter, thinner mangoes as they are more likely to have a stringy texture. Similarly, try to avoid mangoes that have wrinkled skin (these are more likely to be overripe). If your mango has brown spots or speckles on it, that’s no big deal—these are perfectly normal on a healthy mango!
3. Smell the mango.
If you smell the mango near its stem, it should have a fragrant and fruity smell. Ideally, the aroma will b a mix of smells similar to a pineapple, a melon and maybe a hint of carrot. On the other hand, if you start smelling a sour or alcoholic scent when you sniff your mango, it’s beginning to spoil and you should avoid it.
4. Consider the color.
Although the color is not the most important factor when it comes to considering the health of a mango, it can still give you some information about how ripe it is. More importantly, do a little research on the kind of mango you intend to buy and what color it is when it’s at its peak ripeness. After all, mangoes can come in many colors—including pink, green, bright yellow and red.
After you’ve picked your mango, the fun isn’t over! Many people struggle with how to cut their mangoes—so we have a few options for you.
1. The Standard Way
First, wash your mango thoroughly though there’s no need to peel if you don’t want to—the skin is actually very good for you! Next, get a sharp knife and slice the ends off both sides so that it sits flat on a table. With your mango sitting on one of these ends, slide your knife carefully down the middle until it hits the pit in the center. Hug your blade along the side of it to cut the mango into three oval halves (two halves and the middle stone). Trim or chew on the middle as you wish, chop up the halves and you’re done!
2. The Glass Method
Although this still requires you to at least slice your mango in half along the pit, you can skip the rest if you have a tall glass ready. Instead of slicing up the mango in the skin, you can slide your halves along the lip of the glass applying gentle pressure to perfectly shear the fruit out of its skin with little effort! Once you’re done, you can chop it up however you want.
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
