How to choose the right ripe mango. Mango: what signs will help you choose a ripe juicy fruit

This is where the notorious female intuition would come in handy more than ever! After all, it would be terribly insulting to give away a lot of money, and instead of a new bright taste experience, get a disappointing taste misunderstanding or, God forbid, full of kaku. Agree, the task for the far-sighted is to choose a ripe and tasty mango fruit, if you have never held it in your hands before, have not tried it and have only a general idea that this exotic fruit is yellow or red, has orange flesh and smells like shower gel. So, in this article, dear housewives, we will tell you how to choose a ripe mango.

First, remember that when choosing a mango, you need to not only look at each fruit, but also smell and feel it.
Depending on the variety, the mango can be yellowish green, bright orange, pink, red or burgundy. So it’s rather problematic to determine the color of a ripened fruit, but be aware that the peel of a fresh ripe mango of any variety should have a bright saturated color, be shiny and smooth, without external damage and wrinkles. But the presence of small black spots on the smooth, shiny skin of the mango, on the contrary, should please you. These spots indicate the ripeness of the fruit.
A fresh ripe mango should be neither too soft nor too firm. It should also be heavy enough for its size.
When pressed on a fresh ripe mango, no dents or any other marks should remain. If, when pressed on the peel of the fruit, juice is released from under it, such a mango is only suitable for disposal - it is already overripe and has begun to deteriorate. And in the case of mangoes, it is better to buy an unripe fruit than an overripe one.
Well, and, of course, when choosing a mango, do not forget to smell it. Ripe fresh mango should smell like pine needles or even give a little turpentine. Even if the mango has been touched several times, the smell should still be there. At least, in the region of the stalk. Why is smell so important? And because there is no smell, there is no taste. And if there is a smell, but it is not coniferous, but some kind of sour, then this means that this fruit is no longer fresh.
In principle, this knowledge should be enough for you to make the right choice, but if suddenly you still bought an unripe mango, do not be discouraged, wrap it in paper or a newspaper and leave it to ripen at room temperature. You don't need much patience. At room temperature, mangoes ripen fairly quickly. But if you bought a mango, on the contrary, overripe, then such a fruit should be stored exclusively in the refrigerator and no more than two to three days.
By the way, if you plan to try other

“We are attracted to this super vegetable mango,” the group “Accident” sang in their song “Vegetable Tango”. It’s hard to disagree with them: it’s hard to resist and not buy at least one tempting bright fruit for a sample. But how to choose a delicious ripe fruit?

Let's start with the fact that mango, no matter what the musicians sing, is not a vegetable, but a fruit, like an avocado. These tasty and fragrant fruits grow on the Indian mangifera tree (mango tree). Their peel is colored in red, yellow and green tones, and the flesh is yellow or orange. Both green and ripe fruits are eaten - both of them have their own beneficial properties.

Skin color can range from yellow-green to deep red. But it is not worth determining ripeness by one color, because the color of the fruit also depends on the variety. the riper the fruit, the brighter and more intense the peel will be colored whatever color it is.

The peel should be smooth, shiny and tight, without defects., the ripe fruit may have small black spots. Wrinkled skin is a sign of an unripe mango, and if an avocado may well ripen at home, then there is little chance of ripening mango fruits, although you can try. If the peel is flabby, then the fruit has been on the counter for quite some time.

To choose a mango, it is not enough to look at it - you also need to smell it. Ripe mango fruits have a fragrant resinous smell, the strongest at the tail. If the fruit does not have this smell, it means that it has not yet ripened, therefore, most likely, it will turn out to be tasteless. If the smell is sour or gives off alcohol, then the fruit is overripe and stale, its pulp has already begun to ferment.

Also, you can't choose a mango without touching it. First, take a mango in your hand and estimate its weight: ripe fruit weighs 200-300 g. There are, of course, one and a half kilogram "giants", but there is no doubt about their ripeness. By the way, juice is usually squeezed out of large mangoes, and smaller varieties are used as food.

Then try to gently squeeze the fruit. A ripe mango should be neither too hard nor too soft. The mango should be springy when pressed lightly. It should not have dents and indentations, and you should not take fruits with wet skin.

But the shape of the fruit should not scare you away: the main thing is that the mango should be bright, dense and smooth, and irregular shape does not affect its taste at all. Sometimes the ugliest fruits are the most delicious and fragrant. The flesh of a ripe mango is fibrous, fragrant, and has a bright yellow or orange color.

It is better to store mangoes not in the refrigerator, but at room temperature.: with this storage, the fruits will become softer and more fragrant. But a very ripe mango, like a cut one, is better to put in the refrigerator. But even there it can be stored for no more than a couple of days: it is better to quickly eat the fruit before it goes bad. Mango is a very delicate fruit that spoils very quickly if damaged.

We hope that our tips on how to choose a mango have helped you. This tasty and healthy fruit can be eaten "in its pure form" or used to prepare a variety of dishes, and not only sweet ones. And when you enjoy the mango, do not rush to throw away the stone - you can plant it and grow a mango tree at home.

Mango is a fruit from tropical countries that has long appeared on store shelves, but, unfortunately, our compatriots did not like bananas or pineapples. Perhaps, after reading the article, many will reconsider their attitude to exotic fruits, appreciate their benefits and taste.

These are very beautiful shady trees, which are often used in the landscape design of tropical countries. If the plant receives enough heat and light, then it grows with a large beautiful rounded crown up to 20 meters in height. To ensure constant access to moisture, its roots grow deep into the earth by 6 meters. There are individual specimens of trees that live for about 300 years and continue to produce a crop every year.

Mango leaves with prominent veins are dark green on top and lighter in color on the back. The flowers of the plant are very small red or yellow, collected in panicles up to 2000 pieces each. The size, color and shape of the fruit depends on the particular variety.

The birthplace of mango is Burma and East India, but now the plant is also distributed in other warm corners of our planet. These are Malaysia, East Asia and Africa, Thailand, Pakistan, Mexico, Spain, Australia.

Varieties and types

There are more than three hundred varieties of fruit.

The most common:

1. Kaen Oan (pink-orange mango). The thin skin of its fruits has an orange color with a delicate pink tint. The weight of the largest fruit of this variety rarely exceeds 250 grams.
2. Pimsean (pink green mango) is a rare variety that is considered one of the best. Its fruits weigh 350-450 g.
3. GaewLek (small green mango) is a mango variety with the smallest fruits (up to 200 g).
4. Keo-Sa-Woei (dark green). The darker the fruits become, the riper the flesh.
5. Nam-Doc-Mai (classic yellow mango) is the most popular variety, with an average fruit weighing up to 500g.

There are as many varieties of mangoes as there are varieties of apples, so it is difficult to determine which one is tastier in all this diversity, but there is also a positive point - everyone can find a mango to their taste.

What is the difference between green mango and yellow mango?

The green and yellow color of the mango fruit is the main difference between the two varieties of exotic fruit. So, fruits with bright colors have the correct shape and belong to the varieties of the Indian variety. Another variety with elongated green fruits is the Philippine or South Asian mango, whose plants are less subject to sudden fluctuations in climatic conditions.

What does the fruit taste like?

Ripe mango has a sweet fruity taste with subtle sourness, in which notes of apricot, melon and peach are guessed. The color of the pulp can vary from yellow to orange. Its peculiarity is the small presence of hard fibers, they are especially noticeable if the plant grew near a source with hard water, or was treated with chemical fertilizers. The lower the fiber content in the pulp, the higher the quality of the fruit.

Composition, calorie content and nutritional value

Mango pulp is rich in vitamins, minerals and essential amino acids, which the human body cannot produce on its own.

The vitamin composition of this exotic fruit is as follows: vitamin A, B1, B2, PP and C. Among the minerals that are abundant in mango pulp are copper, sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and iron. Due to this, regular consumption of fruit has a positive effect on the body's immune system and blood formation processes.

As for the nutritional value of mangoes, the percentage of 100 g of the edible part of the fruit is 82.2% water, 1.6% dietary fiber, 15% carbohydrates (sucrose, fructose, xylose and glucose), 0.4% fat and 0.8% proteins.

The calorie content of ripe mango, depending on the variety, can range from 65 to 70 kcal / 100 g.

Mango: benefits and harms to the human body

The Asian apple, also called mango, has unique beneficial properties, as it is the first fruit in the world that can stop cancer cells from dividing and infecting healthy tissues. But it is not a panacea and is used as an additional source of vitamins.

The beneficial properties of mango are manifested in helping the nervous system, helping to cope with stressful situations, slowing down the aging of skin cells, cleansing the walls of blood vessels, protecting against atherosclerosis and other joint diseases, restoring the body's water balance.

In addition to a positive effect on the human body, this fruit can also cause harm. Most often it is due to its excessive use. Since mango contains a lot of sucrose and glucose, people with diabetes need to use this product very carefully.

How to determine the ripeness of a fruit?

When determining ripeness, do not rely too much on the appearance of the fetus, more attention should be paid to other signs:

1. Place near the stem. In an immature fruit, the end of the stalk is lowered down, since the pulp has not yet been filled with sugar. In ripe mangoes, the place at the stalk is round and full, and the stalk itself is slightly raised up.
2. Aroma. Regardless of the variety, ripe mangoes have a very bright, strongly pronounced sweet fruity aroma. It is felt especially strongly if you sniff the fruit closer to the stem. Do not buy unscented or alcoholic mangoes. These fruits are either unripe or already spoiled.
3. Weight. Ripe, full mangoes weigh much more than unripe ones. Therefore, putting the fruit in the palm of your hand, it is worth weighing it, as it were. If it turns out to be actually heavier than it looks, then the fruit is definitely ripe.

Mango fruit: how to clean?

Mango peel is too hard and dense, with a specific taste. These properties allow you to transport an exotic fruit anywhere in the world without fear of spoiling its presentation, but it is preferable to peel the peel and eat only the pulp. This should be done with gloves and with extreme caution so as not to get dirty or splatter clothing.

Consider the main ways to peel a mango:

1. Cut the skin off the mango with a sharp knife, as you would with an apple, pear, or potato. Carefully cut the fruit lengthwise with a knife to the stone, with a twisting motion, separate the pulp from the stone. Then use as directed.
2. Cut the fruit with a knife to the bone, twisting the halves in a circle, separate them from the stone. Next, make cross-shaped incisions on the pulp without cutting through the peel. Unscrew each slice with a “hedgehog” and carefully cut off the flesh over the plate with a knife.
3. An overripe mango after separation from the stone can simply be separated from the peel with a small spoon. The juice that is released during this can either be used to prepare various desserts or just drink.
4. Ripe but not too soft fruit is peeled with a potato peeler. Then cut into small slices, which are separated from the bone with a knife. This method is suitable for cleaning fruits, which will then be used for mashed potatoes or other dishes.

How to eat mango

Raw

Peeled mango pulp is best eaten raw, so the body will receive absolutely all the nutrients. You can often find recommendations that the fruit should be slightly cooled before serving to soften the characteristic oily aftertaste.

In raw form, mango can be eaten not only cut into slices or cubes, but also crushed in mashed potatoes. This will require a blender and a few minutes of extra time. Children will especially like this way of serving.

Mango Recipes

From it you can prepare various delicious dishes and drinks.

On a hot summer day, children and adults will be delighted with a mango sorbet, for which you will need:

• 2 medium sized mangoes;
• juice of one orange;
• juice of ½ lemon;
• 120 g of sugar;
• 50 ml of water;
• 20 g corn (or potato) starch.

How to cook:

1. Puree mango pulp and refrigerate.
2. Mix orange and lemon juice with sugar and bring to a boil, dissolve the starch in cold water and pour it into the juice, brew the mixture until it thickens.
3. Mix the completely cooled citrus mixture and mango puree, freeze the sorbet in the freezer or ice cream maker.

A nutritious smoothie option for a hearty and tasty mango snack drink.

To prepare it, you need to take:

• 1 mango;
• 1 banana;
• 500 ml of orange juice;
• 100 ml natural yoghurt.

Progress:

1. Transfer the mango and banana pulp to the blender bowl, pour in the juice and yogurt. Blend all ingredients until smooth.
2. Pour the smoothie into a tall glass, add some ice and serve with a cocktail straw.

Mango during pregnancy and breastfeeding: yes or no?

In tropical countries, mango is as common as apples in our countries, so for many pregnant women and nursing mothers, this fruit is a familiar food. The beneficial substances contained in it are so harmless to the human body that mango is recommended even as a first complementary food.

But still, if a woman did not eat this exotic fruit before pregnancy and breastfeeding, it is worth eating it with caution, watching for the likely manifestations of allergic reactions in mother and child. If a rash or other skin reactions, critical changes in the stool appear, immediately exclude this product from the diet.

Can you eat mango skin?

An exotic plant for our latitudes - mango is one of the distant relatives of poison ivy. This fact explains that its peel, although in a small amount, contains a poisonous substance - the toxic resin urushiol. It can provoke allergic reactions and upset the digestive system, so you should not eat mango peel.

How to ripen the fetus at home?

Having bought an unripe mango, you should not be upset, because there are several ways to get a completely ripe fruit in 6-12 hours to 2-4 days, depending on the method chosen:

1. In a paper bundle or newspaper. To ripen a mango in this way, you need to pack an unripe tropical fruit and a ripe apple in a paper bag or a bag of newspaper. Leave at room temperature for one to two days. The mango will fully ripen due to the release of ethylene from the ripe apple.
2. In grains of rice or corn. The principle of fruit ripening is similar to the previous one, but was invented by Indian and Mexican housewives who put unripe mangoes in a container with rice and corn grains. The fruit can become ripe after 6 hours.
3. In a container at room temperature. This is the most natural way, but it takes the longest amount of time - up to three to four days.

Mango oil: application in cosmetology

The juicy pulp of the mango is eaten, and essential mango oil is obtained from the seeds. It belongs to solid vegetable oils and at room temperature it resembles the well-known butter in consistency. Mango seed oil does not have any pronounced aroma, and its color can be white, light yellow or cream.

Its main cosmetic use is daily care for the skin of the face and body, as well as hair and nails. The oil is ideal for skin of any oiliness and age. In cosmetology, it is used as part of massage mixtures, mixed in equal proportions with face and body creams, pre- and after-sun products, hair balms, or rubbed into the nail plates.

Mango is an exotic fruit of any shades of yellow and red. Mango contains many vitamins and amino acids. This Asian fruit is sold in all European supermarkets, and often the condition of the fruit leaves much to be desired.

Before choosing a mango, pay attention to its color, smell and skin condition.

How to choose a ripe mango

Ripe and juicy mango has an attractive appearance: its peel is even, smooth and shiny. Dark neat specks on the peel indicate the ripeness of the fruit. The color of the skin depends on the variety. Therefore, yellow-green mango, if ripe, is in no way inferior in taste to dark red.

The color should be bright and saturated, not faded.

When buying a mango, pay attention to the condition of the peel and smell:

• Gently press down on the peel with your finger. There should be a small dent. If the fruit is very soft or the peel has broken, it means that it is overripe and is already starting to deteriorate. This is also evidenced by sagging skin with wrinkles. Too hard mango is simply not yet ripe and is unlikely to ripen on your windowsill;
• smell the fruit. Ripe mango has a pleasant and sweet aroma. At the stem, the smell intensifies, and resinous and coniferous notes slip through it. If the fruit does not smell at all, then it is immature. Too intense smell with sourness indicates that the fruit is overripe.

Mango can be any shape. But pear-shaped mangoes are most often found on sale. Deformed fruits are unfit for consumption.

How to choose a mango in a store

When choosing a fruit, do not rely only on your eyes. Be sure to come closer, carefully examine the mango, weigh it in your hand, feel it, smell it. Remember to lightly press on the peel. Thin and flat mangoes have too little pulp and juice. The fruits should be moderately plump, full and rounded.

If you want to buy a mango for a few days, it is better to choose fruits with a firmer structure. In the refrigerator, mangoes are stored longer, in heat - less, but ripen faster.

An exotic fruit for us, mango is one of the most common in Southeast Asia. Its fruits are sold in local markets, in supermarkets, or simply along the road in cars. But all this exoticism can be seen only during its mass maturation. The name mango in translation means "great fruit", which is why you can often hear that the locals call it the "Fruit King".

Mango is an evergreen tree, sometimes reaching a height of 40 meters. But modern breeders have bred dwarf breeds, which is very convenient for those who grow this fruit on an industrial scale.

At a young age, the leaves of the tree are painted in a reddish tint, but over time, the older the plant, the stronger the rich green color will appear.

During flowering, the crown is covered with small yellow flowers. There are several varieties of mango, each of them differs in color and size of the fruit itself. And some are even prone to self-pollination. Fruits are not tied if the tree grows in inappropriate climatic conditions. Night air temperature should be above 13 degrees. Mango does not like high levels of humidity; for fruitful growth, there must be fresh air and enough light. That is why they try to plant the plant in open areas.

What does mango look like?

Mango fruits can be yellow, green, orange, red. In shape, they resemble a slightly elongated ovoid structure. The average weight varies between 200-250 grams. But quite often you can find fruits that weigh up to 400-500 grams, and the real champions are considered to weigh up to 1.5 kilograms.

Mango skin is quite dense and smooth. The pulp is fibrous with a sweet taste. Inside is a large bone of a light yellow hue, slightly flattened on both sides.

When is mango season in Thailand?

Mango is one of the tastiest fruits in Thailand. The climate of the country is perfect for the ripening of this tropical delicacy. I just want to draw your attention to the fact that the fruit season is very short and lasts only from April to May. It was at this time that all the markets of the country are overflowing with yellow fruits, and the price for 1 kilogram drops to 15-20 baht.

mango flavor

To taste the real taste of mango, you need to find a fruit that has ripened on a tree. The fruits purchased from our store will have a slightly different taste, as they are plucked while still green. Thai mango, on the other hand, has a special flavor, reminiscent of a combination of ripe pineapple and peach. Its pulp just melts in your mouth. An eaten piece is able to quench thirst, fill the body with freshness and coolness and at the same time awaken the appetite. More subtle gourmets generally find it difficult to compare its taste with any fruit familiar to us.

Useful properties of mango

You can talk about the beneficial properties of mango for hours. There are really a lot of benefits from it, which is why we will try to highlight the most basic points:

1. First of all, it is the main "supplier" of ascorbic acid. Vitamin C in it is several times more than in lemons. Due to this feature, the fruit is recommended to eat with a cold.
2. Mango is able to positively affect human bone tissue and at the same time accelerates the healing process of wounds.
3. Mango fruits can lower blood cholesterol levels.
4. During the experiment, American scientists found that the fruit accelerates the removal of sugar from the human body. Due to these features, the fruit should be eaten by those who have diabetes mellitus or have a tendency to be overweight.
5. Fruits have no less effect on the cardiovascular system. The components that they contain are able to strengthen blood vessels, and also facilitate the course of inflammation and allergies.
6. Due to the fact that mangoes contain large amounts of vitamins A and C, it is much easier for the body to endure colds. If the body lacks vitamin A, then this can affect the quality of vision in the evening.
7. Mango components are able to destroy free radicals that negatively affect brain cells. It can also serve as a prevention of cancer, namely breast and prostate cancer.
8. Due to the high content of potassium, the fruit is able to regulate blood pressure, as well as maintain electrolyte, water and acid-base balance.
9. The high fiber content improves the functioning of the digestive system, normalizes the intestinal microflora and removes all toxins from the body.
10. Vitamin B6 is able to cope with stressful situations. Regular consumption of fruit helps to calm down and improve the health of the nervous system.

Mango is also a dietary product, it is able to improve metabolic processes and accelerate the excretion of fluid by the body.

Harm mango

Despite such a huge list of mango benefits, there is still a group of people who should be careful when eating this fruit:

1. Not recommended for children under 3 years of age. The thing is that mango is an exotic fruit, which is practically not represented in our countries. It is not known how the child's body may react to the introduction of a new product.
2. After you have eaten a piece of fruit, try to exclude alcohol for at least 2-3 hours.
3. Mango is contraindicated for owners of sensitive mucous membranes.
4. Caution also needs to be for those who are prone to allergic reactions.

How to choose the right mango?

Picking a ripe mango can sometimes seem like a daunting task. Thanks to the rich color range, the exact characteristics of the appearance simply do not exist. But still there are a few rules that you should pay attention to when buying mangoes:

1. The peel of a ripe fruit should be smooth, shiny and beautiful. The presence of small brown blotches will also indicate the maturity of the fetus.
2. To the touch, the fruit is quite dense and heavy. By pressing lightly on it, a small dent should form, which almost immediately levels out. Too soft fruits will indicate that they are starting to deteriorate inside.
3. If the mango is overripe, then its peel will be flabby with numerous deep wrinkles.
4. The aroma of a ripe fruit is pleasant and delicate with a sweet tinge. Alcoholic notes and the presence of acid in the smell will indicate that the fruit is spoiling.
5. If you buy fruits that are too green, you are unlikely to be able to bring them to a ripe state at home.

How to store mango?

Mangoes can be stored in the refrigerator or at room temperature. It all depends on the quality of the fruits you purchased. If the fruits are slightly greenish, then it is better to leave them in the room. If you have purchased ripe fruits, then for their safety it is advisable to use the refrigerator compartment. Those who want to keep tasty pulp for several months should place the fruit in the freezer.

There are several ways to peel a mango:

The easiest way is to take a sharp knife and carefully remove the peel from the fruit. Then separate the pulp from the stone and cut it into small pieces. It should be borne in mind that the fruits are quite juicy and during such cleaning, their juice can stain hands or clothes.

The second way will be more aesthetic. With the help of a knife, halves of the fruit are cut along the bone. Then cross cuts are made on them. At the same time, the integrity of the skin must be preserved. Turn the halves inside out slightly and use a knife to cut off the resulting diamonds.

If the mango is slightly overripe, then it can be cut into two halves, and the pulp can be eaten with a spoon.

Mango is indeed recognized as one of the most delicious fruits, which is also rich in various vitamins and minerals. To feel the real taste and aroma of fruits is possible only when traveling to tropical countries. That is why try to choose the right rest time so that the trip is remembered not only by swimming in the sea, but also by getting to know new fruits.