How to Pick a Good Mango

Touch and feel around the entire mango., Inspect the mango visually., Smell mangoes near their stems., Look at color last., Learn about the varieties of different mangoes.

5 Steps 2 min read Medium

Step-by-Step Guide

  1. Step 1: Touch and feel around the entire mango.

    Ripe mangoes will be slightly soft to the touch just like avocados and peaches, but not soft or mushy enough to where your fingers sink into or through the skin.

    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. Step 2: Inspect the mango visually.

    The ideal mango should be football-shaped, so you should choose mangoes that are full, plump and rounded, especially around the stem.

    Sometimes ripe mangoes will have brown spots or speckles, which is perfectly normal.

    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. , Ripe mangoes will always have a strong, sweet, fragrant and fruity aroma around the stem.

    A ripe mango has a smell somewhat like melon, but also like pineapple, with a little hint of carrot thrown in.

    Ripe mangoes smell wonderful and sweet.

    If it smells like you'd want to eat it, you're in business.

    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., In general, the color of mangoes is not the best way to look for ripeness.

    Since the colors of ripe mangoes can be bright yellow, green, pink, or red depending on the variety and season, color alone won't necessarily tell you much about the ripeness of a mango.

    Instead, familiarize yourself with the different varieties of mangoes and the seasons in which they thrive to learn more about what you're looking for. , Since mangoes have different colors and slightly different flavors depending on the current season and the region they come from, you may want to learn how to identify certain types of mangoes to heighten your overall experience with them.

    There are 6 different types of mangoes.
  3. Step 3: Smell mangoes near their stems.

  4. Step 4: Look at color last.

  5. Step 5: Learn about the varieties of different mangoes.

Detailed Guide

Ripe mangoes will be slightly soft to the touch just like avocados and peaches, but not soft or mushy enough to where your fingers sink into or through the skin.

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.

The ideal mango should be football-shaped, so you should choose mangoes that are full, plump and rounded, especially around the stem.

Sometimes ripe mangoes will have brown spots or speckles, which is perfectly normal.

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. , Ripe mangoes will always have a strong, sweet, fragrant and fruity aroma around the stem.

A ripe mango has a smell somewhat like melon, but also like pineapple, with a little hint of carrot thrown in.

Ripe mangoes smell wonderful and sweet.

If it smells like you'd want to eat it, you're in business.

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., In general, the color of mangoes is not the best way to look for ripeness.

Since the colors of ripe mangoes can be bright yellow, green, pink, or red depending on the variety and season, color alone won't necessarily tell you much about the ripeness of a mango.

Instead, familiarize yourself with the different varieties of mangoes and the seasons in which they thrive to learn more about what you're looking for. , Since mangoes have different colors and slightly different flavors depending on the current season and the region they come from, you may want to learn how to identify certain types of mangoes to heighten your overall experience with them.

There are 6 different types of mangoes.

About the Author

J

Jacob Russell

Specializes in breaking down complex creative arts topics into simple steps.

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