Mangos are everywhere now, but back in the 70’s, my only exposure was via a mango-scented fancy soap…and it did NOT smell good to me. Thankfully, when the fruit itself started being readily available in the US, I took the chance and tried it. SOOOO glad I did! I love both colors and use them abundantly, but they’re a little harder to deal with than other fruits with a core or pit. Here’s some thoughts on mastering the mango.
Mangos are like avocados
What??? Well, only in one respect…it’s super hard to choose a good one. You definitely don’t want them to be rock hard unless you can allow some time for them to ripen. Like an avocado you want just a little tiny bit of give. The main variety available here are called red mangos. I think the idea is when they’re green, they’re not ready and when they’re red, they’re ripe. But I cut three yesterday that were PERFECT and only one had any red on it at all.
How DO you cut a mango?
I use a large knife, like a butcher’s knife, with a sharp blade. While standing the mango on its tip (stem end up), slice down the entire widest side of the mango starting about a half inch from the stem itself. You won’t be able to slice completely straight down as you’ll need to curve away from the pit a little. Turn and slice the opposite wide side. Then, turn and slice away the smaller strips you have left on the thin sides.
In some mangos, the pit will stick out really close to the skin…particularly on the thin sides where you have those strips left. Here’s where your ears and hand are going to help more than your eyes on where to cut.
First, be aware if it feels hard to cut. Veer out farther when you encounter this difficulty. Second, listen! If you happen to cut into the pit, it will give you a scratchy sound…you’ll know the instant you hear it. But don’t worry, if you get a little pit in the fruit, you can easily trim it away once you have it in cubes.
That classic mango cut
The large slices are where you’ll get that classic mango cut you see all over the internet. Simply score a crosshatch pattern (think tic tac toe but many more squares)…several cuts down and several across but none going all the way through to the skin.
Put down the knife, grasp the slice with both hands, thumbs lined up on top, and use your fingers to press that slice inside out. The cubes will appear to “pop” to the front. On the thin pieces, simply make a few cuts perpendicular to the slice.
We love to eat mangos as our fruit with dinner. If we’re doing that, I just stop at this point and give each person one wide slice and one thin slice. Might be a little messy but super easy to just bite the cubes right off the skin.
Separating mango cubes from the peel
Now take your knife and think about how we cut the cantaloupe rind from its flesh (see that post here). Slide your knife between the skin and the fruit carefully and slowly slide it under all the cubes. You can’t do the whole piece at once…it will take two passes. In fact, if it helps, cut it between some of the cubes and just do one part at a time until you get the hang of it.
Once the thin slices have their perpendicular cuts, then it’s the same. Run the knife between the skin and flesh of the fruit. These cubes will be much thinner just by nature of how the pit sits in the fruit.
Now if you want to freeze the cubes for later, follow the freezing directions for the blackberries/raspberries/cut strawberries here. This first freezing step is essential for the fruit not to freeze into one huge clump that you can’t separate. Your goal is the ability to pour only the amount you want out of the bag when the time comes.
That pit is HUGE
Yes, it is! Plus, the mango flesh clings to it like crazy. So much so it’s a real challenge to get the sweet flesh separated from it. It’s also a larger part of each mango than in a peach, pear or apple. You have to be cunning to cut away from it and not sacrifice too much of the flesh.
Buy fresh and freeze your own vs. buy frozen cubes
A wise and savvy shopper friend of mine then of course asked, “But isn’t it cheaper to just buy the frozen chunks?” Well, it depends (come on, you know everything depends!). I cut three mangos and got an average of 5 oz of cubes from each. Here’s the breakdown…(prices were from a few months back in the Mid TN area)
If you like mangos FRESH (like I do) or you’re making chutney (my favorite mango chutney recipe is from Paleo for Beginners), just about any old price is okay. Just no substitute for having it fresh.
If you like ‘em frozen or are using in smoothies or anything else where they’ll be crushed or blended, only the very best fresh sale price of 49c each is better in cost per pound. And then still you have to add in your time. Otherwise, Aldi or Costco’s frozen chunks are the better deal…and Costco’s were even organic (I don’t live or die by that…just mentioning for those who really watch that). But you also have to be prepared for the size of that 5# bag in your freezer and how quickly you’ll use it up.
Time to master that mango
Now it’s up to you. If you haven’t tried mangos, start with just one or two to try the cutting technique and the flavor (I suggest two as one might taste better than the other…remember, they’re a bit like avocados to find the best ones).If you like the taste but think SMOOTHIE, grab that Aldi bag and give it a try. You can always go back from the BIG bag at Costco later.
And once hotter weather comes in, you’ll also want to master my favorite type of mango…the yellow mango, sometimes called lemon or honey mango. It’s a little smaller and tarter but WOW, what a great flavor. Can’t get this one frozen so you’ll have to try them fresh…I can’t wait!
Comment below if you tried mangos or this cutting technique for the first time and what you thought. Show the kids it can be fun to try new foods!
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