Mango help please...

[tracey67]

Call me a mango-newbie. I'm trying to incorporate a larger variety of fruits into my diet and mango's (being the nutritional powerhouses that they are) are high on my list. I'm not terribly fond of them "as is", but I've found that I really like them in smoothies with soy milk and strawberries. So here's my question...is there an easy way to cut them up, deal with the pit, and use as much of the fruit as possible. The last time I tried to cut one up, it was such a mess and because of the huge pit, I had to cut around and thought I left a lot of the fruit still clinging to the pit - unused.

Peaches and nectarines are easy -- I can usually cut them all around and then slowly twist to separate and then dig out the pit (and JUST the pit). I know the trick for avocado pits. But this dang mango pit just wouldn't come loose - no matter how many tricks I threw at it. I know I'm rambling and this is a pretty minor issue to be devoting a whole post to, but I really want to know...
TIA
tracey

[Don]

Am I glad that I am not the only one who finds mangoes impossible. I have totally given up. I was told to score the meat, turn the skin inside out, and cut the pieces off. No matter how I try, I seem to get more mango everywhere but in the dish that I am cooking. I have decided to buy the presliced mango in a jar from now on. I know there must be a trick to this, but I surely haven't found it.

[BosunsWife]

Unfortunately there is a lot of waste to a mango. You can only slice as close to the pit as you can (without actually cutting into the pit) on all sides. The pit in a mango is rather large. In my opinion it is worth it. I love them diced and sprinkled with a little bit of lime or lemon juice.

[Shirley Ekstein]

You know mango is slightly flattish? Wider one way than the other? Well, stand the mango on its bottom, narrow side facing you, then slice down each side. If you hit the stone, try again a little further out. Lay the remaining mango flat on your board and slice down from the stalk end at an angle, on each side, till you reach the stone. To get the rest off you just have to hack round, I'm afraid! To get the flesh out of your side slices, cut a chequerboard design into the flesh but don't go through the skin. Pick up the slice and push from underneath, turning it fom flat to convex - it should know be fairly easy to slice off the flesh. This is the simplest and least messy way to do it, but having said that, you'll still be up to the elbows in juice and bits of mango. Lick yourself clean. Cooks perks!

[GayeC]

I love mangos so much! I try NOT to cut too much off the pit, then my son and I fight over who gets to hang over the kitchen sink and eat/chew/suck on the pit! Not a delicate process but so good.
Gaye

[Luv to Cook]

I try NOT to cut too much off the pit, them my son and I fight over who gets to hang over the kitchen sink and eat/chew/suck on the pit! Not a delicate process but so good.

LOL Gaye! I do the same thing. There is no waste if you scrape off all the fruit with your teeth!

Anita

[tracey67]

Thanks guys -- your suggestions will definitely help -- although I don't think I'm quite ready to start sucking on the pit (LOL) just yet. The "scoring and turning inside-out" idea sounds very handy.
tracey

[Curleytop]

I peel my mango with a potato peeler! Then I cut off hunks (over a bowl) then divided the pieces and put them into two small bowls and we eat them for dessert!
I never knew how to pick the mangos. So one day I asked the manager in the vegetable section to show me how to pick them.
Now, I buy them by the box in Costco. When the get ripe, I put them in the fridge, and just like avocados, the stay just right to eat for about a week. This is not the way to cut the mangos, according to all the cookbooks, but it works for me!

[Lynn B]

Originally posted by Curleytop
I never knew how to pick the mangos. So one day I asked the manager in the vegetable section to show me how to pick them.


Curleytop,

What did he say?!!!! My mango-choosing is "hit or miss"... sometimes they are wonderful and sometimes they... aren't!!!! :)

Thanks!

Lynn

[hendsl]

I will second using a potato peeler. My 2 year old loves mangos! I slice down the long sides and then chop off the bottom and top. Anna gets the cubes and I nibble around the pit (cook's treat!)
I tried the method described in cookbooks-keeping the skin on, slicing off the sides and cubing the flesh within the skin and scraping it off, too much work!

[csmcnamara]

Originally posted by GayeC
I love mangos so much! I try NOT to cut too much off the pit, then my son and I fight over who gets to hang over the kitchen sink and eat/chew/suck on the pit! Not a delicate process but so good.
Gaye

I thought this was the only way to eat mangos!!

[RobinC]

Frozen Mango chunks at Trader Joes. Tastes great and no waste. :D

[tracey67]

Robin - thanks so much for the heads up about the frozen chunks -- I didn't even THINK about that as an option!

tracey

[tracey67]

Holy Cow!

I was just checking the TJ's website for some other information and noticed that the frozen mango chunks are featured this month. They are $1.19 for a pound! I just paid $1.50 for one fresh mango and I know it doesn't weigh anywhere near a pound! For my purpose (using them in smoothies) this is perfect!

What a deal - thanks again Robin!

tracey

[RobinC]

It was my hairdresser who told me about the bags of frozen mango chunks at Trader Joes. She loves mangos and thinks the frozen ones at TJ's are pretty dang good. I made the mango-ginger sauce (CL June 2001) using these. It was so easy to cut up the chunks of frozen mango.

[Mamasue]

I also have thumbs up for the TJ frozen mangos. I used them this summer for frozen ice cream recipes. :D

[Deanna]

I, too, recently struggled with a mango and I'm not sure which of us won the battle! (Mango-Chile Salsa = YUM!)

My question...here in KC we don't have Trader Joe's so don't know where I'll find frozen mango chunks. Will try Wild Oats...but in the meantime, any comments about the Mango in a Jar?

Thanks

D

[ewatkins]

The mango in a jar is fine, but tastes nothing like the fresh stuff!

[Curleytop]

LYNN B. How to pick mangos? You pick them the same as you would avocados! If they "give" a little all over they are READY.
Then, if you are not yet ready to use them, put them in the fridge.
If the mango is firm, let it sit on the counter (not in the sun) until
it is ready! Hope this helps!