On the other hand, if you do not plan on eating the mango for a few days, you may want to choose a mango with firmer skin and allow the mango to ripen some at home. Ripening mangoes is discussed the a method below. [2] X Research source
Do not pick flat or thin mangoes because they are likely to be stringy. Avoid choosing mangoes with wrinkled or shriveled skin because they will no longer be ripe. Ataulfo mangoes, however, are often very wrinkly and soft before they’re perfectly ripe, so try to learn about the different varieties before deciding. The differences are covered below in a subsequent section.
Since mangoes have a high natural sugar content, they will ferment naturally, so the sour, alcoholic odor is a distinctive sign the mango is no longer ripe. Stay away from mangoes that smell sour or like alcohol because these mangoes may be overripe.
When you see some that are ripe, all of the other fruit that are roughly the same size are fine to also pick, as they’ll be at their peak of ripeness in a day or two, left on the counter. If you plan on selling them at a market, it’s probably better to pick them a little early. [4] X Research source Fruit-ripened mangoes are much better than mangoes picked green and allowed to ripen indoors. Do what’s best and most convenient, but if you can, try to let them become as ripe as possible on the tree before picking them. You’ll never taste such a delicious mango.
When a few start falling by themselves, they’re probably ready to be harvested, and maybe even overripe. You don’t have to wait for them to fall to the ground by themselves before you start picking them. Young or brittle trees should not be shaken, but the branches should instead be thrashed with lengths of rope, or long wooden dowels. If you’re concerned about the thickness of the tree trunk, don’t shake it.
Buy the longest, lightest dowel you can find (or of a length appropriate to match the tree). Use a small metal bucket, the like of which is used for golf balls or gardening supplies, and use duct tape to attach it to the end of the dowel. To create a nice claw for picking, take the head off of a metal rake and attach the spines to the lip of the bucket.
Mangoes that were picked especially green will sometimes take much longer, and in fact may never ripen like you want them to. If a mango hasn’t ripened in five or seven days, it’s probably not going to get any riper. In hotter temperatures, mangoes will ripen more quickly, and may go from green to overripe in a very short amount of time. If it’s hot and you’re not in some temperature-controlled air conditioning, keep a close eye on them. They’ll probably be fine.
In the fridge, the cold will slow the ripening process, so the fruit won’t ripen any longer and will last for up to 4 days longer than they will on the counter, where they’ll continue ripening. You don’t have to refrigerate them, however, if you want to eat them quickly.
Mango skin is perfectly edible and in fact extremely high in compounds that help control receptor molecules called PPARs, which help to regulate cholesterol, glucose, and are thought to have some anti-cancer properties. [7] X Trustworthy Source PubMed Central Journal archive from the U. S. National Institutes of Health Go to source Give it a rinse and give it a try! If you want to try the skin, you can just eat the mango whole like an apple, or you can peel it and go right at the fruit, eating your way around it.
You should be left with a furry-ish stone that still probably has a lot of fruit on it. Chef’s rights: you get to chew off that bit.
It’s best to do this while the fruit is sitting on a cutting board, even though it might be easier to hold the skin in your hand. It’s very easy to cut straight through the skin and poke into your hand, which can result in a nasty cut.
