I just went to get yet another batch of fresh peaches, and on the next table were mangos at a buck each. So I bought one. I have no idea what to do with it though.
How do I know when it’s ripe? and what do I do with it then?
When a mango is ripe, it will still be firm, but it will have some “give” if you squeeze it gently. When you’re ready, peel it with a knife over the sink, and then just slice the sticky, juicy orange fruit into cubes or slices, and eat with a fork. There is a large pit in the middle, so don’t just bite in! There is no neat, clean, dignified way to eat a mango, so it isn’t suggested as a fruit to eat on the go, like an apple or a banana.
You know when it’s ripe when it tastes good – but without tasting, you just go on how firm it is. Too firm, and it’s not ripe; too soft, and it’s over ripe.
There are two problems with eating mangos: you need to separate the edible flesh from the skin and from the large stone in the middle, and you need to contain the spread of mango juice. As to the latter, I’ve read one school of thought which was that the best way to eat mangos is in the bath – I sympathise with this, but it’s not strictly necessary.
Two ways of separating the flesh, both of which involve using a knife which is as sharp as possible:
(1) peel the skin off in thin strips, completely, then slice the flesh off the stone in the middle. This gives you the largest possible pieces of mango flesh.
(2) without peeling, slice pieces off the stone in the middle, which will be around a centimetre thick at the centre. Then dice the flesh, without cutting the skin. You can then eat the diced flesh off the skin.
Ripeness: like a peach. If it’s hard, it’s not ready. If it’s real squishy you passed it. If it give a little to the squeeze, it’s just right. Let it sit on the couunter to ripen.
Things to do:
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Eat it.
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THe classic Asian dish is sticky rice with mango
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Salsa. Use in place of an equal amount of tomatoes in your favorite salsa recipe. Good with chips, or just as a side dish to grilled salmon.
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Marianade. In a blender, combine mango (slice it up into manageable chunks first), juice of 1 lime, 2-3 cloves of garlic, salt & pepper. Maybe a jalapeno, or chipotle pepper. Turn on blender and drizzle in olive oil until desired consistency. Now, I marianate strips of chicken breast in this for a couple hours, put on skewers and grill. Use the chicken for fajitas. I’ll reserve some of the sauce and put that on the fajitas, too.
Easiest way in the world to tell is if it’s a reddish colour. Make sure you eat it over a sink though as it’ll be ripe enough to be very messy eating! Just peel off the skin using a knife to get enough of a flap to pull it off in strips. Remember that there’s a stone inside to eat around, don’t break your teeth!
We always had a mango tree in our yard when we lived in the tropics and I overdosed. I don’t much like the taste of mango any more :(.
I have always found that mangoes need to be cold to taste right. At room temperature they seem to have some weird chemical-like taste.
Wouldn’t it be “mangoes”?
Never get off of the boat.
Eat it over the sink and then go take a shower – I think I can do that. (I’ve been on a major peach tear this summer and thus eating a lot of fruit over the sink.)
Note!
The mango is a relative of poison ivy. My 5 year old is one of those unfortunates who reacted strongly to mango when she was very young.
Your mileage may vary, of course. But be warned.
Okay, I’ll shower with cool water and brown soap. 
(I expect to be fine – I’ve eaten mangos before [I love the chicken-and-mango dish at World o’ Noodles] without ill effects. Thanks for the warning, though.)
I thought it was sumac but in any case, do be careful. When I get “mango rash” it puffs my lips up to Melanie Griffith x 10. Or that Slavic model, I forget her name, of the naturally bee-stung look. If they could package mango rash and sell it to skinny-lipped movie stars, someone would get rich.
But man does it hurt. Puffy itchy red rash all around my mouth that lasts about a week. It doesn’t happen every time to me: usually only if my lips touch the skin (so I peel them completely); and usually only if it’s not extremely ripe. Eating any slightly not-quite-ripe section seems to make me get Mango Rash.
Beware the mango! It hides evil inside its fleshy goodness.
Mongo just pawn in game of life.
Oh, sorry, what? Mangos?
[Emily Litella] Never mind. [/EL]
I like to cut up my mangos right before they get hard ripe; while they’re still just a little bit green. Then eat the slices with salt. My stars, that’s good.
If I’m cooking with them, I let them ripen fully. I make a great mango pound cake.
Hold it over the sink and cut an X on top with a knife. Cut the lines down to the bottom (where, obviously, you will also have an X), cutting through the flesh to the pit. Peel the four quarters, but don’t worry about losing too much of the fruit; you can chew it off the inside of the peels. Be careful, as others have said, not to let your lips come in contact with the outer side of the peel as many people have skin reactions to that. Then chew the fruit off the pit. Depending on what kind of mango it is (there are dozens of types), it may be stringy and get caught in your teeth, so have some floss around. If you find out the mango is not ripe enough to eat after you’ve cut it, look up recipes for green mango.
I grew up with Mexican mangos I thought tasted like kerosene, so never was too fond of them. Then I moved to the Caribbean and had a hybrid Julie/East Indian mango tree in the yard. That is the best thing I’ve tasted in my life.
I only like mango when it is very cold – to me, they also taste weird at room temperature. And my mom has the same allergic reactions to them, which she always thought was from the outer sap.
To the OP, if you are really into peaches, a mango-peach salsa definitely sounds like it’s in order. Dice both fruits along with some tomatoes, onions, and jalapenos.
You cannot-a have the Mango!
slaps butt
I didn’t know that. A Google search turned up this from Johns Hopkins
I’m allergic to shrimp, which totally sucks – I refuse to be allergic to cashews!
I’m a strong atheist, but I *might * accept mangoes as proof of a loving god. They are the yummiest fruits ever - I currently have two crates (11-12 mangoes each) sitting at home, just waiting to ripen and be eaten!