Fleshy and large, the mango fruit differs in taste, flavor, aroma, fiber content, color, shape, and size. Mango has an excellent exotic flavor and is well known as the queen of fruit. However, the taste of Mangos depends on whether they are ripe or unripe.
If we look for the closest comparison, mangos have a combined taste of peaches, oranges, and pineapples. Some people describe the taste of unripe mangos as slightly crunchy and sour. Because of this, they are one of the very few fruits also used in salads. Ripe mangos have a tropical floral taste as they are juicier and stringier.
What are Mangos?
Mangos are considered the world’s third mildest tropical fruit. This fruit has an oval shape and a non-edible rind. The colors vary from pale yellow to dark red. The pulp of a mango is juicy and yellowish orange in color.
Mango is also characterized as a dupe fruit, which basically means that it has a large seed in its center. They are mostly grown in India and Southeast Asia. Mangos have been cultivated for the past 4000 years. This fruit helps in boosting up immunity, the digestive system, and eyesight. The most common varieties of mango are as follows:
- Honey (Ataulfo): This variety of mango is available from March to July. The producers of this type are Mexico, Brazil, and Peru.
- Francis: They are found mostly in Haiti and Ecuador and are available from May to June.
- Haden: Haden is mainly produced in Mexico, Peru, and Ecuador.
- Keitt: They are cultivated from March to September. Keitt variety is grown in Mexico, Ecuador, Brazil, and the US.
- Kent: The main producers of this variety are Mexico, Ecuador, and Peru. They are mostly available from December to February.
How to store Mangos
When wanting to store mangos, first check if they are ripe or not. When dealing with unripe mangos, keep them at room temperature. They will ripen at room temperature and become soft.
Once mangos are ripening, they should be kept in a refrigerator. The cold temperature will slow down the ripening process. The ripe mangos can last for five days in the refrigerator.
If you want to store them for a longer time, peel off the skin, and cut mangos into cubes. Store the cube-shaped mangos in an airtight jar and freeze them. Frozen mangos can last for six months.
How do you know if mangos have gone bad
Unripe mangos take several days to ripen. If the ripe mango feels soft and mushy, it has probably gone bad. If there are large black areas on the skin of the mangoes, it is a sign that the fruit is overripe and should therefore be thrown out.
Dishes with Mangos
Following are the dishes that you can try with mangos:
- Beauty Food Mango slushy: Add mangos, coconut water, fresh lime juice, salt, and Aleppo style pepper in a blender jar. Blend all the ingredients with crushed ice.
- Vitamin C Superfruit Salad: Mix ginger, carrot juice, lime juice, turmeric, and salt in a bowl. Arrange mango, kiwi, and citrus in the same bowl and drizzle oil and salt on it. This dish is best served for brunch.
- Green Mango Salad: Make a paste of chilies, garlic, lime juice, fish sauce oil, and palm sugar. Toss mangos, peanuts, mint, shrimps and season it with salt.
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