Cutting a mango
Mangoes are delicious, widely available and packed with nutritional benefits, but the tough peel and slippery flesh can make them challenging to cut. Plus, it’s not always easy to tell if a mango is ripe, leading to a disappointing snack.
Here’s how to tell if a mango is ready to eat, and how to easily peel and cut a mango to maximize the amount of fruit and reduce the risk of mess or injury. No additional kitchen gadgets are required. You can find everything you need to cut a mango the easy way in your kitchen.
Mango benefits
Mangoes are high in fiber and vitamin C and are a great source of iron, copper and vitamin B6. The orange color of mangoes comes from beta-carotene, a source of vitamin A that’s also found in carrots. One serving size of mango (about 3/4 of one mango) contains 70 calories and is fat and cholesterol-free.
Recipes using mango
Mangoes tend to be available year-round, and the fruit is surprisingly versatile. Cubed mango can add sweetness to salads and stir-fries. Blend mango into breakfast smoothies or margaritas. Adventurous cooks can try pickling mango, making chutneys or creating desserts like rice pudding that put mango in the spotlight.
How to tell if a mango is ripe
Even outside mango’s peak season of spring and summer, it’s possible to find ripe mangoes in supermarkets. In most popular varieties of mango, the peel will turn orange or red as it ripens, but this isn’t the best indicator of ripeness. Mangoes also tend to get more fragrant as they get closer to being ready to eat. Like other stone fruits, mangoes also get softer as they ripen. Squeeze the mango gently. If there’s a give in the flesh it’s ready to eat.
If the mangoes at the supermarket aren’t ready to eat yet, store them on the counter to ripen. You can speed up the ripening process by wrapping them in newspaper or placing them in a paper bag.
Store ripe mangoes in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Best way to cut a mango
There are a few methods for cutting a mango, but it all begins with the same simple step — cutting the mango fruit away from the seed. Mangoes have a broad, flat seed in the middle. It can be a little tricky to visualize the seed inside the mango, but typically you’ll be cutting off the widest and flattest sides of the mango.
Balance the mango stem side down on a cutting board. Using a sharp chef’s knife, slice down one side about a quarter of an inch away from the middle. Your knife should slide right past the seed. If you encounter any resistance, try slicing again a little further away from the middle. Repeat with the other side of the mango.
How to cut a mango using a glass
To easily detach the mango fruit from the peel, you can use a standard 16 oz. glass. Be sure to continue to work over a cutting board because this step could be messy. Align the bottom edge of one mango half where the peel meets the flesh with the rim of the glass. Press down and slide the mango halfway down the glass, using it as a scoop to remove the flesh. You should end up with a tidy oval mango half, ready to be sliced or cubed.
How to cut a mango using scoring
If you need tidy mango cubes for your recipe, try this method. Place one mango half peel side down on the cutting board and carefully cut lengthwise slices in the flesh, being careful not to cut through the peel. Do the same thing slicing in the other direction so the surface of the mango has a grid pattern.
Next, take the edges of the mango peel and use your thumbs to turn the peel inside-out. The mango cubes will stick out away from the peel. Detach the cubes with your fingers, a spoon or a paring knife.
You can also adapt this method for slices. Simply cut one set of lines lengthwise, then scoop the slices out with a spoon.
How to get mango that is attached around the seed
Depending on your cuts, you may have a decent amount of mango fruit left attached to the seed. Lay the seed portion flat on the cutting board and use your paring knife to remove the peel and carefully cut around the pit.
How to use a mango splitter
Sometimes specialized kitchen gadgets aren’t worth the space they take up in your kitchen, but a mango splitter may be the exception. Slice a small amount off the tip of the mango and stand it upright on your cutting board. Align the mango splitter on top of the stemmed end of the mango and gently press down to remove the two halves of fruit from the seed. OXO Good Grips Mango Splitter works for any size of mango and removes just the right amount of fruit from the seed with ease. Once you have your two halves, use either of the above techniques to peel and cube, or slice the mango.
Mango recipe ideas
On average, one mango yields a cup of fruit. Here are some dishes you can make with mango:
Make a sweet mango salsa to eat with chips or serve atop grilled chicken or fish.
Add mango to your smoothies for extra creaminess and tropical flavor.
Make a Thai dessert at home with coconut sticky rice and sliced mango topped with sesame seeds.
Toss cubed mango into a salad with bell peppers and a citrus vinaigrette.
Try mango con chile y limon, a popular Mexican street food. Squeeze lime juice over half a mango and dust it lightly with chili powder and salt.
How to store mangoes
Cut mango can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. To freeze the cut-up mango, place cubes on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and freeze until solid. Transfer the cubes to a resealable bag or container and store in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Laura Duerr is a writer for BestReviews. BestReviews is a product review company with a singular mission: to help simplify your purchasing decisions and save you time and money.
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