Fruits and vegetables are some of the healthiest foods we can eat. They are full of fiber, but not a lot of calories. While it can be easy to include fruits and vegetables in every meal, it is not always easy to prepare every different type. Mangos are one of the fruits many people seem to avoid. Some people aren’t sure what a mango is. Others have no idea how to cut a mango. Today, we are going to share how to cut a mango the right way. And we promise it isn’t as difficult as you may think.
What is a Mango
Before we dive into cutting a mango, we thought we should share a little bit about what a mango is. Mangos are tropical fruits. They can be red, orange, green, or yellow on the outside. The inside flesh is either orange or yellow.
Mangos sold in the US are grown in Hawaii, California, and Puerto Rico. But these tropical fruits are native to southern Asia and eastern India.
Once you have peeled this fruit and taken the pit out, you are left with delicious fruit to devour. Mango can easily be eaten uncooked. But it also adds lots of flavor to cooked dishes.
What Does Mango Taste Like?
As with most tropical fruits, mangos have a sweet flavor when ripe. The taste is like a mix of peaches and pineapples. Some varieties are sweeter than others.
Unripe mangos are anything but sweet. Those mangos are tart and crunchy.
How to Choose a Mango
Mangos are readily available in markets all year round. The best tasting mangos are available during the late spring and early summer though.
Choosing the perfect mango isn’t too tricky. When you choose a mango, you should look for one that feels heavy. There should not be any bruises or cuts on the mango you choose.
Ripe mangos will indent a little when touched. Unripe mangos will be hard and will not give off a fruity aroma.
If you cannot find fresh mangos in your stores, you should be able to find frozen mango chunks or dried mangos. The frozen mangos are just as delicious as fresh mangos. Plus, they are already peeled and cut, so they are ready to use.
How to Store Mangos
You may be wondering how to store mangos once you get them home. Ripe mangos can be placed in the refrigerator for a few days until you are ready to use them.
Unripe mangos can be placed on the counter. It will take a few days for mangos to ripen. If you need ripe mangos faster, you can place them inside a paper bag.
Once you cut your mango, you can place it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The mango will stay good for a few days.
You can also store cut mango in the freezer. Frozen mangos placed in a zipped bag will last for six months.
How to Cut a Mango
Now that you know so much more about mangos, it is time to learn how to cut a mango. There are two different ways to do this. Whichever method you choose, it's very important that you choose a very sharp chef knife for this.
Mangoes are round, and tend to be slippery - a sharp knife will help prevent slips and accidental cuts. See our ultra-sharp made-in-USA chef knife here.
One Way to Cut a Mango
- Slice down on either side of the pit of the mango. This will remove the flesh from the center pit. The two sections you cut off are called mango cheeks.
- Score the mango flesh in each cheek. Simply run the tip of your knife through the mango until you reach the skin. Do not cut through the skin though. Once you make cuts lengthwise in one direction, continue to make cuts in the other direction. This will create cubes.
- Flip the mango inside out, so you can slice away the individual pieces of mango you made. This will remove the peel from the mango.
Second Way to Cut a Mango
- Slice the mango to create the two cheeks like above.
- Scoop out the flesh of the mango to remove it from the skin. You will use a spoon for this process. This is similar to scooping out an avocado from its skin.
- Once the flesh is removed, place each cheek flat side down on a cutting board. Slice the cheeks into cubes.
No matter how you decide to cut a mango, you can always remove the extra fruit around the pits. Simply place the pit on a cutting board and cut away the fruit using your knife.
Is Mango Peel Poisonous??
You will have a bunch of mango skin laying around when you are done cutting a mango. Therefore, you may wonder if you can actually eat the skin.
Well, you could eat the skin for a mango. We don’t recommend it though, because it is tough, and it doesn’t taste too good. It is not poisonous though, so you can always try it and see how it is for yourself.
We usually toss our mango skins in the compost pile.
This is how to cut a mango, plus everything else you need to know about this delicious fruit. If you have been avoiding mangos because you didn’t know how to cut them, you no longer have an excuse. So, head out to the store, purchase the perfect mango, and use your newfound skills. We know you will be hooked on this tropical fruit from the very first bite.
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