How to Peel a Mangoposted in Fruits by Kathy MaisterA mango is one of those fruits that people avoid buying because they don't know how to cut them. I’ll show you two different ways to cut a mango. Mangos are great with just about anything. (Chicken, fish, salsa, pancakes, smoothies, on ice cream, fruit salad, etc.) They are low in calories, can be eaten fresh or cooked and are really tasty. They are in season from May to September. When you buy a mango, it should have a fragrant, fruity aroma and yield slightly to pressure from your thumb. It will ripen sitting on your counter, or you can speed the ripening process by sticking it in a paper bag. Once ripe, put it in the refrigerator. A mango should get eaten within a day or two of being cut. To cut a mango, start with a serrated edge knife. (That’s the one with the jagged edge that you use to cut a loaf of bread.) Mangos are very slippery and you have to be very careful when peeling a mango that the knife does not slip. Slice off the fattest part, sometimes called the “cheek”, of both sides of the mango. Notice in the photo below the position of the knife in relationship to the stem. (The stem is next to my left index finger.) Now score the “cheek”. That means to make shallow cuts with a paring knife. Make each cut about ½ inch apart, and then turn the “cheek” and make perpendicular cuts as well. Once scored, press the back side of the mango so that all the flesh is standing at attention. You can serve it this way or trim off the flesh from the skin. Cut around the pit with a small paring knife. Remove the remaining skin from the flesh. Trim around the pit to remove the remaining flesh. The pit is actually quite large as you can see from the photo below. The Alton Brown Way to Peel and Cut a Mango:I was watching Alton Brown on FoodTV demonstrating how to peel and cut a mango. His method actually produced more edible flesh, and was safe and efficient. But you do need a few more pieces of equipment for the Alton Brown method. Corn-on-the-Cob HoldersIn addition a a large kitchen knife, you will need a vegetable peeler and a corn-on-the-cob holder. Start by peeling the mango with a vegetable peeler Then slice off the top (stem end) and bottom of the mango. Insert a corn holder into the mango. This is going to act as a holder while you slice the mango. Notice how the mango can stand by itself! Holding the corn holder, slice off the cheeks. And trim the flesh off the pit. Then slice the mango according to your recipe. Enjoy!
If you are new to startcooking, or are a regular visitor here, please consider subscribing for free. 21 commentswill It's very pretty when you push the scored mango trhough. I would just leave it like that and make it part of a lovely fruit salad sculpture. add some grapes and sliced strawberries, kiwi. Ripe mangos are the best! Sweet, juicy and full of flavor, but very slippery to peel and cut! (BTW, you can buy them frozen, already cut into chunks. My neice buys them this way to add to her smoothies.) Jon Great tip - thank you - all I now need to know is how to tell when mangoes are ripe - along with melon, papaya (aka pawpaw) etc, etc ... Malhori Another way is to score the mango into quarters, length-wise . Peel 1 quarter, then cut slices through the exposed flesh down to the pit. Then cut across the pit to release the slices. Do this with each quarter until all 4 quarters are done. Hi Malhori, Thanks for the great tip! I've seen an avocado cut this way but never a mango. I'll have to give this a try! Allie Wow. I stumbled across this site. This tip is awesome. It's so simple yet not described to me like I'm a moron, or a pro cook. Just a normal person! Thanks!! adnan malik it has received my very attention, thank-you Thanks Allie, glad to be of help! LEE ANN Thank you so much. I'm 39 years old and just learned how to cut a mango. I was always intimated to ask "how to cut" or "do you peel it". None of my friends eat mangos. NOW, everyone is getting fresh mangos. wafa thanx for every thing ,you have anice and easy way .i like most of the recipes. Tracey Lee Ann: Don't feel bad. I am 41 and just learning myself. Someone gave me mangos and I didn't know what to do. I don't think they are ripe enough yet as they are tearing apart on the inside. But they are sooo good. I am looking forward to using the techniques above. All of your wonderful comments bring such a smile to my face! I am thrilled you are finding startcooking.com to be a helpful resource! sabamba13 This is a great method, for a somewhat surprising reason, which I learned the hard way. Some people suggest eating the fruit right off the pit or serving in the skin, bad idea!! Turns out, mangos contain the same oil as poison ivy! Not the fruit itself but the plant, so it can be on the skin or in the pit. If you've ever had an odd, itchy, poison ivy like rash on your lips try to figure out if you've eaten mango recently. Not a good thing! Thanks for sharing Sabamba! jerry Excellent! My wife and I love mango but every time she looks at me struggling with the cutting and the slices are messy, she kind of loses her appetite. Now I can show off to her and we can really enjoy mango! Jerry Mangos are really tricky to cut given the size of the pit and how slippery they are! I am delight to hear you are now able to show off your new found skill! Very nice guide. I just bought two mangos and were kind of just sitting there and thinking, now what? My plan is to use them in smoothies, so now I just have to find a good recipe. Hey Thesis - I've got some great smoothie recipes right here! marquetta I've been at mangos forever and have never had luck in peeling and lost half of the fruit, I finally gave up and looked for help, Thanks! Also for the inexperienced cook, I've been cooking since 4 yrs old, and never figured it out so don't feel too bad! Peeling a mango is really tricky - it's just so slippery! Personally, the vegetable peeler works best for me! Post a Comment0 trackbacks |
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Justin
Thanks!
This is so awesome. I've either cut my hand or just given up and wound up eating the thing whole (and getting soaked with mango juice) every time I've tried!
Such a great tip. thanks!