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One of my favorite childhood memories is sharing a fresh mango with my mother. She would pull up a chair so I could stand at the sink with her as she sliced it. Over the years I’ve adopted her love of the sweet fruit and tend to eat it the same way: fresh cut, by itself in a bowl.
Recently I was invited to take part in a tutorial about mango preparation and recipes with Meghan McKenna, Director of Marketing at the National Mango Board. You think you know mangos – seems simple enough, right? But, I was shocked at how much I learned. Now I get to share these tips (and a tasty recipe of my own) with you.
- To find a ripe mango, squeeze the fruit gently.
- Color isn’t always the best indicator of ripeness.
- A ripe mango will be slightly soft like a peach or avocado.
How to Store Mangos:
- Keep unripe mangos at room temperature.
- Mangos shouldn’t be refrigerated before they are ripe.
- To speed up ripening, place mangos in a paper bag at room temperature.
- Once ripe, mangos should be moved to the refrigerator, which will slow down the ripening process. Whole, ripe mangos may be stored for up to five days in the refrigerator.
- Mangos may be peeled, cubed and placed in an airtight container in the freezer for up to six months.
How to Cut a Mango:
- The mango stem is called the ‘eye’ – it’s a marker for the mango’s seed:
- Stand the mango on your cutting board stem end facing you.
- Place your knife about ¼-inch from the widest center line and cut down through the mango.
- Flip the mango around and repeat this cut on the other side.
- The resulting ovals of mango flesh are known as the “cheeks.” What’s left in the middle is mostly the mango seed.
- Cut parallel slices into the mango flesh, being careful not to cut through the skin.
- Scoop the mango slices out of the mango skin using a spoon.
- You can also cut the remaining areas from the edge of the seed if the flesh is thick enough.
All the mangoes I’ve eaten and I never realized I was cutting them the wrong way. I struggled with that seed every single time. Now it takes seconds, less mess and the fruit isn’t bruised from grasping it too firmly. The cubed portions happen to be perfect for our crepes.
Normally you would cook your crepes in a pan, swirling the batter to ensure it covers the entire area. But, I do love my griddle. The crepes aren’t as perfect, but they do cook more evenly without sticking.
Note: My kitchen was very warm so the creme was soft. Keep your creme in the fridge until you are ready to serve to avoid ‘runny’ crepes. Oops!
There are six different varieties of mango: Ataulfo, Francis, Haden, Keitt, Kent and Tommy Atkins. For this recipe I used Keitt mangoes. They are sweet and fruity – perfect for a dessert – but also one of the firmer varieties so it cubes well.
Busy preparing for a big dinner or special event? Mangos are a great prep-ahead fruit! Even after being cut, they won’t lose their color, and the texture holds up extremely well.
Mango taste is tangy and sweet – but they aren’t limited to only dessert or breakfast recipes. Try using them to replace tomatoes in your favorite dishes like salsa, caprese salad, kebabs or a crisp chicken panini.
- 2 Mangos - cubed (can use frozen, thaw first)
- 1 - 2 Pints Fresh Raspberries
- 1 Tsp Lime Juice
- ½ cup powdered sugar (optional)
- 1 cup all purpose Flour
- 2 Eggs
- ½ cup Milk
- ½ cup Water
- ¼ Tsp. Salt
- 2 Tbsp. Butter, melted
- 4 oz Goat Cheese, softened at room temperature
- 3 Tbsp Honey
- 3 Tbsp Heavy Cream
- ⅓ cup Marscapone (can substitute sour cream)
- In a bowl, cream together goat cheese, heavy cream and honey until smooth
- Fold in Marscapone until blended
- Set in refrigerator until needed
- Cube mangoes and toss with raspberries and lime juice
- Set in Refrigerator
- In a bowl, whisk together flour and the eggs.
- Slowly add milk and water. Stir until combined.
- Add salt and butter, beat until blended.
- Heat oiled griddle or frying pan on medium high.
- Pour approximately ¼ cup of batter onto the pan/griddle, careful to watch the spread until you have the size you desire.
- If using a pan: Tilt in a circular motion so the batter covers the bottom of the pan.
- Cook for approximately 2 - 3 minutes until the underside of the crepe is light brown.
- Flip with a spatula and cook the reverse side.
- Place fruit mixture down the center of the crepe
- Add Goat Cheese Creme
- Roll the crepe and top with additional fruit and powdered sugar
- Serve warm
Check out more Mango tips, tricks at Mango.org. You can also have your own menu #Mangover with recipes like Coconut Shrimp with Ginger Mango Sauce, Mango Oat Breakfast Bars and don’t forget fresh Mango Bread.
Enter to Win
Are you ready to Mangover your menu? One RJC reader will win a Mangover Prize Pack which includes: a sampling of fresh mangos, a paring knife, fruit scoop and dish towel
Details: Giveaway ends October 17, 2013 @ 11:59 pm ET. Open to US residents 18 years of age or older at the time of entry.
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