![]() Two, use them as the core ingredient as in a mango ice cream or mousse or smoothie. Mangoes are most often used in one of three ways: One, eat them naked and plain. Mango ribbons are a nice touch as a side to fish or meat because the ribbons are big enough for an accent taste, plus it's decorative on the plate. The one exception to this method is to peel the fruit and then continue using a vegetable peeler to make ribbons of mango. I then cut the pieces into dices or slices, depending on what I'm making. But I don't think there's any secret to the task: I just use a vegetable peeler to take off the skin and then holding the mango carefully on a cutting board, I use a chef's knife to cut off the four sides and top/bottom, finding the edge of the interior seed with the knife's blade (the fruit will essentially guide you as to where the fruit ends and the seed begins). The large interior seed can make it a bit of a challenge to remove the mango fruit, especially after it's peeled and becomes slippery to handle. ![]() Finally, avoid mangoes that are either very soft or appear bruised. As when buying melons or pineapples, you should be able to detect a fruity aroma. While you have the mango in your hand, smell it. Unless you need one that's ready to eat right then, buy one that's still firm because as it will ripen in just a few days (you can speed this up by placing the fruit in a brown paper bag and leave it on a counter, out of the sun). Most mangoes are picked unripe so as to ripen either in the stores or else after you buy it. If the fruit is ripe it will slightly give under your fingers (please don't over-squeeze or you'll damage the fruit and piss off the store manager). When shopping for mangoes, gently feel the fruit for its tenderness. As a result, I choose depending upon what looks best and which are ripe in the store. Since I usually am using mangoes in something full-flavored like a salsa or chutney, whatever the subtle taste difference will be totally masked. As a general rule, there's not a big difference in taste between the smaller, kidney-shaped mangoes and the larger, greener ones. Produce markets in New York often sell two or three types of mangoes. What nearly all mangoes have in common are a thin green skin that will ripen to yellow, a slightly fiberous pulpy fruit, a large interior seed, and a complex, sweet/astringent flavor. ![]() There are hundreds of varieties cultivated around the world, including California and Florida, although many of the mangoes sold here are from Peru. Mangoes are sacred in India where this luscious fruit originated and their orange-gold color is a sign of their super-nutrients, especially beta carotene. And in this season of wacky weather (it's 's 's spring.etc.), it shouldn't be surprising that I had my first seasonal mango sighting on March 1. Still, it's a sign of spring when they start piling up in front of our markets and the prices begin to drop. Mangoes are a tropical fruit that we can buy almost year-round. What's in Season: Mangoes When the mangoes arrive you know that spring is coming.
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