# Mangos



## SpiritWolf (Sep 17, 2006)

Can anyone help me with different ideas for mangoes, my tree is loaded this year and I really dont know what to do with all of them.  I know you can freeze them, but then you can only use them in cooking, they go all mushy, which I Hate, I make Icecream out of them and sorbets, but what else can I do, I really LOVE MANGO CHICKEN, but How do I do it properly, my recipie is not good enough, not enough Mango flavor, unlike the restaurents, they do it so good. I normally use double what the recipie says, as I like a real strong flavour, but it is not good enough, and the mangoes are real watery. 
Please can anyone help, or give me new recipies, That would be a great help, 
                              Thanks heaps for your help
                                Spiritwolf from Aussie Land.


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## attie (Sep 17, 2006)

SpiritWolf said:
			
		

> Can anyone help me with different ideas for mangoes, my tree is loaded this year and I really dont know what to do with all of them. I know you can freeze them, but then you can only use them in cooking, they go all mushy, which I Hate, I make Icecream out of them and sorbets, but what else can I do, I really LOVE MANGO CHICKEN, but How do I do it properly, my recipie is not good enough, not enough Mango flavor, unlike the restaurents, they do it so good. I normally use double what the recipie says, as I like a real strong flavour, but it is not good enough, and the mangoes are real watery.
> Please can anyone help, or give me new recipies, That would be a great help,
> Thanks heaps for your help
> Spiritwolf from Aussie Land.


Hello Spiritwolf, I think we're in the wrong section here but I guess someone will fix that. I'm in Mackay just south of you and my Mango tree is just setting fruit. What sort are they? Bowen Specials? What about some chutney or sauce, I've got some recipes that are tried and work well. You're right about them going mushy once frozen, the taste also changes.


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## Chopstix (Sep 17, 2006)

Cubed ripe mango goes very well in a salad of arugula, feta cheese, walnuts, salami slices with balsamic vinaigrette.

A very popular Thai dessert is Mango Sticky Rice (Khao nyeow mamuang).  Basically it's sticky rice steamed and mixed with coconut milk and sugar.  Delicious with mango slices.


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## VeraBlue (Sep 17, 2006)

SpiritWolf said:
			
		

> Can anyone help me with different ideas for mangoes, my tree is loaded this year and I really dont know what to do with all of them.  I know you can freeze them, but then you can only use them in cooking, they go all mushy, which I Hate, I make Icecream out of them and sorbets, but what else can I do, I really LOVE MANGO CHICKEN, but How do I do it properly, my recipie is not good enough, not enough Mango flavor, unlike the restaurents, they do it so good. I normally use double what the recipie says, as I like a real strong flavour, but it is not good enough, and the mangoes are real watery.
> Please can anyone help, or give me new recipies, That would be a great help,
> Thanks heaps for your help
> Spiritwolf from Aussie Land.



Let me help you out....send them to me!!    Check the soup board..I printed a recipe for mango soup you'll probably love!


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## XeniA (Sep 17, 2006)

VeraBlue said:
			
		

> Let me help you out....send them to me!!



Dang! I'm with Vera Blue! Too MANY mangoes?! How is such a thing possible?

This year I made mango chutney for the first time. So succesful I'm about to make my third batch. It should keep for a year or so, and also makes nice gifts for friends who like that sort of thing. *Clive *is your man to see for this sort of thing (you can do a quick search for him or for mango on this site).

Particularly nice made with green/green-ish mangoes I found -- retains a really nice "bite" even after all the cooking.


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## attie (Sep 17, 2006)

The problem we have guys is [as you know] we don't have much time to enjoy them. I picked about 700kg from my tree last year, ate as many as we could, made as much chutney and sauce as we wanted and then gave the rest away. SpiritWolf's mangoes would be just about ready whereas mine won't be ready untill December as I'm some 400klm south of her.
I like the mango butter recipe Daisy, in fact all the recipes so keep them coming.
Yep, Clive's the man, we've been in top secret discussions of late about chutney as I've become very partial to JAIPUR [made in India] chutney and would like to make something similar
Thanks people


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## attie (Sep 17, 2006)

Because of Fruit Fly and the blinking Flying Foxes we have to pick them green.


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## Lynan (Sep 17, 2006)

http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f15/chicken-mango-and-macadamia-nut-salad-26076.html

I posted this recipe a couple of weeks ago  

A glut of those babies huh?? Its totally not fair that I cant get them to grow in my backyard!


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## Barb L. (Sep 17, 2006)

Feel Like Iam in the dark ages - never had Mango or chutney -woo is me !


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## SpiritWolf (Sep 18, 2006)

Thank you everybody for all your beaut ideas and recipies on Mangoes. Especially to you Attie, Im glad someone else from Aussie Land is on here as well, as Attie says we have to pick them green if you want to save them from the horrid Flying Foxes (Bats), I wasted about 2 dozen shopping bags full last year as the foxes got to them, then You have to throw them out, unless my dogs get to them first.Attie my trees ( I have 2 ), are both Bowen, but one got cut back severly in February this year, so isnt producing this season, I normally get about 500 mangoes on this particular tree, it is a beaut provider of mangoes, but unfortunatley not this year. The other tree isn;t as good, but we have had a double batch or double flowering this year with this one, fruit is on there now, and also new blooming is happening now as well. So this tree may come good this season, we are picking our first batch in about 4 weeks, I just needed some new recipies before I ruined them by freezing them, not that there will be many left after eating them from the tree, and giving friends and niehbours, some for free, they raid my tree anyway, and I need to do something else with them, before the season ends. I would gladly give anyone some, if u lived near me, but sorry guys, You will just have to dream on instead.  Do you get Mangoes in the States, I wasn't sure.  They would be expensive I s'pose if u do.
                       Thanks every body, I am going to try all of your recipies.


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## attie (Sep 18, 2006)

You are most welcome SpiritWolf, these nice people here sure gave some great ideas. We had that double flowering last year as well as this year, I've never seen it before even though I was born and bred in Bowen. No mangoes set with the first flowering, lots of blooms, and they are just setting now from the second bloom so I hope they stay on.
Loprraine in Canada tells me she gets mangoes from Mexico in their season as we do but they are much cheaper than what we pay for them here.


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## XeniA (Sep 18, 2006)

daisy said:
			
		

> ... Then, check out some of these ideas ...



Wonderful recipes Daisy! I wish even more that I had a glut of mangoes instead of paying something like 4 Euros a kilo for them.

Are you this good with all fruit and veggie gluts? How about lemons?!


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## XeniA (Sep 18, 2006)

SpiritWolf said:
			
		

> ... I normally get about *500* mangoes on this particular tree ...


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## attie (Sep 18, 2006)

Ayrton said:
			
		

>


That's pretty average for a matured tree.


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## XeniA (Sep 18, 2006)

attie said:
			
		

> That's pretty average for a matured tree.



That it may be, Attie ... but for a kid like me who has to think "gee, shall I spring for a third or make two do?" when buying mangoes, it's simply a good definition of heaven!


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## XeniA (Sep 18, 2006)

Barb L said:
			
		

> Feel Like Iam in the dark ages - never had Mango or chutney -woo is me !


Can you get ahold of them, Barb? If so, why don't you try both and report back?

To eat raw they should be more red than green.

As for chutney, try buying some rather than making. Can you get ahold of Sharwood's brand (English)? Here's a picture of their Bengal Spice Mango Chutney (my current favorite -- aside from my own!):


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## attie (Sep 18, 2006)

Ayrton said:
			
		

> That it may be, Attie ... but for a kid like me who has to think "gee, shall I spring for a third or make two do?" when buying mangoes, it's simply a good definition of heaven!


Some varietes grow wild here Ayrton, mostly along the banks of streams. They do grow pretty big as you can see





 Who knows how many would be on this tree. They just fall off and rot on the ground --- and that's when the Parrots get drunk on them


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## XeniA (Sep 18, 2006)

attie said:
			
		

> Some varietes grow wild here Ayrton, mostly along the banks of streams. They do grow pretty big as you can see



Wow! I had _no_ idea the trees were that large!! Tricky to harvest, then, right?



			
				attie said:
			
		

> Who knows how many would be on this tree. They just fall off and rot on the ground --- and that's when the Parrots get drunk on them



Um, are you pulling my leg or do they really?


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## attie (Sep 18, 2006)

Oh! They get drunk alright, they stagger around squarking like crazy. Some pass out and lay flat on their backs to sleep it off. They do the same thing in freshly cut sugar cane paddocks or when they eat the flowers of the Silky Oak trees. Them and the White Cockatoos are just a mob of drunken bums behaving badly.


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## XeniA (Sep 18, 2006)

attie said:
			
		

> Oh! They get drunk alright, they stagger around squarking like crazy. Some pass out and lay flat on their backs to sleep it off. They do the same thing in freshly cut sugar cane paddocks or when they eat the flowers of the Silky Oak trees. Them and the White Cockatoos are just a mob of drunken bums behaving badly.



Ah ... it's so nice to have a good laugh on a Monday!! 

Australia must be a wild place to live. All those poisonous things you have there ... and sharks ... and now drunken parrots. Never a dull moment, huh?!


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## attie (Sep 18, 2006)

I guess we are as proud of our country as you are of yours and that's good eh!
As the saying goes "Wouldn't be dead for quids"


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## XeniA (Sep 18, 2006)

attie said:
			
		

> I guess we are as proud of our country as you are of yours and that's good eh!
> As the saying goes "Wouldn't be dead for quids"



Hope you didn't take offense -- none intended at all!

"Wouldn't be dead for quids"??!! I have NO idea what that means !


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## Mel! (Sep 18, 2006)

*Mango chutnery*

Mango chutney
This is an indian receipe. U can put a spoonful of the chutney, on top of Indian curries, or put it in sandwichs with cheese and meat or use it as a dip for popadums. 

Here it is

Mango chutney

Ingredients
6 ripe mangoes, peeled and thinly sliced
310ml (1 and quarter cups) cider vinegar
250g (1 and a third cups) light brown sugar
45g fresh root ginger peeled and chopped
2 crushed garlic cloves
2 teaspoons chilli powder
1 teaspoon salt

Instructions
In a cooking pot, cook mangoes and vinegar over low heat for 10 mins. Stir in sugar, ginger, garilic and chilli and salt. 
Increase heat, bring slowly to the boil, stirring well. Reduce heat, simmer 30 minutes. Stirr occassionally. 
Let the chutney mature, in jars or tubs, for a month, before eating. 

Mel


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## Mel! (Sep 18, 2006)

*comment*

A  mango tree in the garden. That sounds so exotic to me. I have bought every mango, i have ever eaten. Never picked one off a tree
But i do have a plum tree outside. Maybe that would be exotic, to people from some countries. 
Mel


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## AllenOK (Sep 18, 2006)

If I remember right, in some tropical countries, even the flying foxes get snockered if the fruit they eat is over-ripe and has started to ferment.


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## attie (Sep 18, 2006)

Ayrton said:
			
		

> Hope you didn't take offense -- none intended at all!
> 
> "Wouldn't be dead for quids"??!! I have NO idea what that means !


None taken Ayrton, I was meaning that life is good for us down here, we are very laid back people and that saying means that we enjoy life.

There you go Mel, I've never seen a stone fruit tree [don't get around much] let alone a plum tree.

Those flying foxes are dreadfull creatures, they always seem to be able to pick out the fruit the night before you were going to pick it


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## karadekoolaid (Sep 18, 2006)

OOOOOhhhhhh, mangoes, mangoes, mangoes! The fruit of India! 
How it ever got over here to Venezuela is shrouded in mystery, but I've fallen in love with them. I haven't got a tree in my garden, but I've got three in front, one next door, two next door (the other side) two behind and one two doors down...
Mango chutney, mango jelly , mango pickle ( I just made 4 kilos today, if you like it *HOT!) *


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## kyles (Sep 19, 2006)

What amazes me about Australia is how different things grow in the different states. I lived in Tasmania for thirty years, and of course, you couldn't even think about planting anything tropical, I had two fig trees, two peach trees and two different plum trees.

Mangoes here are expensive, unless you go to the Indian stores, and you can buy boxes of them very cheap. They are the yellow variety rather than the green/red. And they're delicious.

Best eaten as they are, in the bath!


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## Always Hungry (Sep 26, 2006)

Love mangoes. Quite possibly my favorite fruit, but that's such a tough choice. I think that's what inspired us to make some sort of mango product years ago so that we always had mangoes even when they were out of season. If memory serves correct, mangoes are one of the top 3 most popular fruits consumed in the world.


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## mish (Sep 26, 2006)

Chopstix said:
			
		

> A very popular Thai dessert is Mango Sticky Rice (Khao nyeow mamuang). Basically it's sticky rice steamed and mixed with coconut milk and sugar. Delicious with mango slices.


 
That is one of my favorites, as well. 

Add the mangos to a salad (with avacado and bacon), throw them in the blender and make a mango coconut Liquado, or a mango shrimp dish served with rice.


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## Yakuta (Sep 26, 2006)

After living in US for about 17 + years there is still one thing I cannot get used to and that is the mangoes that are available here.  They are just O.K. and nothing special.  I guess people don't really know how the mangoes sold in Asia are. 

The various varieties were mind boggling in India (atleast 6 or more that I can remember).  Each has it's own different specialty.  Some are good for pickling, some good for juicing and yes we make all sorts of stuff with mangoes.  Still others just for cutting and eating. 

The best mango hands down in the world has to be the Alphonso which come from the extremely steamy hot Konkan region of India.  The bright orange skin and the bright yellow super sweet flesh (and it has no stringiness that most of the mangoes in America do) cannot be explained in words.  You actually have to try it to believe it.  

They are by no means cheap even in India but I really really hope that someday they will arrive to the west.


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## GB (Sep 26, 2006)

Yakuta you have my mouth watering. I almost want to buy a plane ticket to India just to try an Alphonso mango. Mango is one of my favorite fruits and I have only had the kind we can get here in America. I can not imagine how they could taste even better, but I have no doubt you are right.


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## Yakuta (Sep 26, 2006)

Hi GB, I am going to India at the end of October for a month on business and the bummer is that the mango season is over so I will not get to try that Alphonso that I have been craving for 12 years (that was the last time I visited India).  I guess my luck  .  I guess I will have to settle trying some other yummy fruits (if my now westernized tummy can handle) like custard apples (which are only found in the carribean here), lychees and palm fruit which should be available this time of the year.


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## GB (Sep 26, 2006)

We do a lot of business with India as well and it is somewhat likely that I would be asked to go over for at least a few weeks at some point. If they ask me to go I will gladly say yes and hope that it is in the right season for the Alphonso's.


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## urmaniac13 (Sep 26, 2006)

Mmmm... I can only dream of those fresh locally grown and ripen tropical fruits... I am sure it would be the same thing, even with bananas and pineapples, too.  I can only imagine your pining Yakuta, but feel sorry for those of us who have never been lucky to experience such nature's treat!!

I really hope one day I will have that opportunity.


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## Yakuta (Sep 26, 2006)

Urmaniac, I get the same feeling when I see the tomatoes, fresh basil and not to mention the aged parmesean and other yummy cheeses that come from Italy.  

It's good that some of the Italian goodies have made it to the US.  I guess it would have been a huge loss not to have experienced the nutty and delish cheeses from Italy.


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## Chopstix (Sep 26, 2006)

Asians are fiercely proud of their own country's mangoes and would get into arguments about it. The Indians believe they have the best mangoes.  The Filipinos, Thais and others think the same thing! That's why my husband, whose Asian team is having their annual meeting in Bangkok next month, is organizing a mango blind taste test as a fun extracurricular activity.  Each one from a different country will bring their country's best mangoes. There'll be a panel of blindfolded tasters.  To lend credibility to the exercise, the test will be administered by the regional market research person.  Is that interesting or what?! I'll report back on what happens.


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## karadekoolaid (Sep 26, 2006)

Yakuta said:
			
		

> Urmaniac, I get the same feeling when I see the tomatoes, fresh basil and not to mention the aged parmesean and other yummy cheeses that come from Italy.
> 
> It's good that some of the Italian goodies have made it to the US. I guess it would have been a huge loss not to have experienced the nutty and delish cheeses from Italy.


 
we've finished our mango season too, Yakuta, although there are some varieties which last until December... Hope you can find them in India; there's nothing more hedonistic that eating a slice of mango and having the juice dribble down your chin!!


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## Lynan (Sep 26, 2006)

Chopstix said:
			
		

> Asians are fiercely proud of their own country's mangoes and would get into arguments about it. The Indians believe they have the best mangoes. The Filipinos, Thais and others think the same thing! That's why my husband, whose Asian team is having their annual meeting in Bangkok next month, is organizing a mango blind taste test as a fun extracurricular activity. Each one from a different country will bring their country's best mangoes. There'll be a panel of blindfolded tasters. To lend credibility to the exercise, the test will be administered by the regional market research person. Is that interesting or what?! I'll report back on what happens.


 
Oh boy...that sure will be interesting!! I can imagine some VERY hurt feelings when one's own mango is deemed to be inferior.  And someone's will be.  
Dont forget to let us know the results!!


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## Yakuta (Sep 27, 2006)

Hi Chopstick, yes the blind taste does sound intriguing.  Please do report back the results.  If anything tops the Alphonso I would like to know because I would certainly like to try it at some point in my life.  I did not think anything can be better than an Alphonso as far as mangoes are concerned but if there is I can't even imagine what it would taste like (I am sure it would be an experience not to be missed from a tasting perspective and I would have to add it to my list of must trys at some point in my life).


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## urmaniac13 (Sep 27, 2006)

Yakuta said:
			
		

> Urmaniac, I get the same feeling when I see the tomatoes, fresh basil and not to mention the aged parmesean and other yummy cheeses that come from Italy.
> 
> It's good that some of the Italian goodies have made it to the US. I guess it would have been a huge loss not to have experienced the nutty and delish cheeses from Italy.


 
Yes Yakuta, that is true, and I feel really, really blessed about it.  And I am constantly reminded of it everytime I hear how much a good evoo costs in many parts of the world... 

And anyone ever tried a fresh mozzarella made out of buffalo milk, and fresh ricotta made out of sheep milk?? 


Oh and Chopstix!!  I want to participate in that Mango contest!!


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## college_cook (Sep 27, 2006)

I heard that fresh mozz. made from buffalo milk should be eaten the same day it is made?  If that's the case then I don't imagine that I'll ever get to try any.

As for mangos, they aren't very popular here in Indiana, the markets always have the on sale, 2 for 1 because noone buys them but me!  I really love them, but I never grew up with them, and noone around me really wants to have anything to do with them, so I don't even know how to properly remove the big seed in the middle (called the stone right?  is it a seed?), and I don't know if you can eat the skin from a mango either.  I actually bought some yesterday, to make a mango salsa to go with some carnitas and tostadas... and I was also toying with the idea of making some sort of Asian-inspired spicy mango sauce to get drizzled over grilled chicken or pork, or salads.

I haven't done this yet so I can't tell you how it would turn out, but I was going to puree the mango and cook it down just a little bit with a teeny bit of sugar added.  After that I think I want to add some soy, red pepper flakes, and a bit of Siracha, perhaps a bit of honey, and then I was thinking of trying to add a little bit of vinegar or oil, to make a sort of vinagrette.  I've never really gone into vinagrette making territory before, so I'm not even sure if this is a good way to make this... but I'll let everyone know how it turns out!


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## urmaniac13 (Sep 27, 2006)

No CC, while it is true that buffalo mozzarella should be eaten while they are very fresh, but the rule doesn't go so far as that you need to eat it on the same day it has been produced.  That would make it impossible to market even in Italy!!  If it is well preserved it usually lasts about 5 days, though we usually finish it up much sooner... 

It is about the same way here in Rome, about Mango.  No one seems to know what to do with them.  My partner Cris was like that once, but after I made him a salad with prawn and coconut, he immediately grew tastes for it, and he scoured the interenet to explore many possibilities with them (and he went through the same process with avocado, after tasting my guacamole...), now it is really amusing seeing him approaching a bewildered customer at a market with a mango in his/her hand, then go on to give them a quick course on "how to enjoy mangos"!! lol
But here they cost a lot all the same, about €1 a piece or €4 a kilo, so we really need to use them wisely!


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## Yakuta (Sep 27, 2006)

Hi Urmaniac, wow fresh buffalo mozzarella - No just have seen on T.V. and tried fresh mozzarella but doubt it was the real deal.  Also fresh ricotta would surely be a treat and not to mention mascarpone - my favorite.  

It's not just EVOO that costs a lot (I bought a small bottle for like 16 dollars which I thought was expensive but it's really good) it's also balsamic vinegar.  The aged ones are super pricey here and a little goes a long way so it's O.K. to pay but imagine if these things never made it to the U.S. people would not know what they are missing. 

Collegecook I live in Illinois and it's the same with mangoes here.  The only place you see them in huge demand are farmer markets that are visited by Asians - Indians and our other neighbours who are familiar with the fruit. 

The pit of the mango is not edible but as kids we used to ensure we sucked every bit of goodness out of it before discarding it, my kids (born and brought up in America have also learned the fun in this, they never let me throw out the pit until they suck on it).  The skin is not edible either if it's ripe.  Although in a raw mango (green) that is used for pickling you cut the mango with the skin. 

To cut a mango you peel it and then cut around the pit.  You can then cut the bigger peices into smaller more even ones and then just use the mango around the pit as a treat for yourself, so there is really no waste


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## Half Baked (Sep 27, 2006)

In Maryland, I could get a case of 12 for $5.  They are $2 apiece here in Atlanta and they aren't very good but those of us who love mangos have to deal with it.


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## GB (Sep 27, 2006)

And for those to clumsy to try cutting the pit out, Oxo to the rescue.


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## shpj4 (Sep 27, 2006)

I like to skin the mangoes first and then store them in my refrigerator.  I love eating them just plain.


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## karadekoolaid (Sep 27, 2006)

Mangoes - ahhh what glory. 
I've just made 3 kgs of Mango Pickle, adapted from a Rajasthani recipe I found on the internet. Extremely hot, wonderfully creamy - and very  tasty. 
We make something called " Jalea de Mango" here in Venezuela, from green mangoes: skin, boil, cook, add sugar, allow to set - thick jelly with a tart flavour yummy yummy. 

Mango jiuce - mix fresh mango with a lttle water, sugar and ice to make a " Batido de Mango"

Mango Chicken: cook some chicken with a little onion, ginger, curry and thinly sliced carrots. Add a glass of water and a glass of white wine. Cook until almost ready, then add a cup of mango cubes and a Tbsp of grated coconut.


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## XeniA (Sep 28, 2006)

Yakuta said:
			
		

> ... Although in a raw mango (green) that is used for pickling you cut the mango with the skin.
> 
> To cut a mango you peel it and then cut around the pit.  You can then cut the bigger peices into smaller more even ones and then just use the mango around the pit as a treat for yourself, so there is really no waste  ...



Or, so goes the theory. Maybe I'm just clumsy like GB's suggesting?!

Last weekend I made yet another batch of mango chutney (a milder version for complaining husband). Got beautiful big green chutneys because the batch prior to that I'd used green and I just LOVED the "bite" the pieces of mango retained in the chutney ...

Ah-ah, however, did you know? Mangoes can stay green on the outside and be very, very ripe on the inside? Thank heavens I squeeze-tested them after a few days of waiting for them to begin to redden -- they gave a little when I squeezed so I thought I'd better get on with it.

Anyhow ... I made an incredible MESS "peeling" them! The first few swipes at it went well, but the further I got and the more I had to grip the already-peeled part in my left hand, the more difficult it all got. At least twice it shot out of my hand -- kind of like a soapy baby!

As I was doing it over the pot I was making the chutney in, no biggie -- just got a fair bit of slush and juice in it, however, maybe for next time somebody could tell me how one is SUPPOSED to cut a ripe mango? God forbid I ever want to serve attractive chunks of it!


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## Chopstix (Sep 28, 2006)

All this talk about mango reminded me of a comment by an American lady when she was in the Philippines.  She was describing the taste of the mango there and the only way she could phrase it was that it's the closest thing to sunshine that she has ever tasted.  What a nice description -- I've never forgotten that!


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## Gretchen (Sep 28, 2006)

shpj4 said:
			
		

> I like to skin the mangoes first and then store them in my refrigerator. I love eating them just plain.


 
How do you keep them from turning brown quickly!!

Let me recommend Daisy's shrimp, avocado, and mango salad on the first page. THAT is a wonderful recipe. I have also used orzo instead of rice in it.


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## Chopstix (Sep 28, 2006)

Gretchen said:
			
		

> How do you keep them from turning brown quickly!!


 
Good question!  I've never tried putting it in lemon water to prevent browning from oxidation.  Has anyone tried?  Normally, we don't skin the mangoes until about ready to eat.


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## GB (Sep 28, 2006)

I have never had magos turn brown on me after peeling. I had a bowl of mango sitting in my fridge, covered with platic wrap (but not pushed down or anything) for at least 3 days and there was no brown at all.


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## Chopstix (Sep 28, 2006)

I have encountered browning when kept unskinned in the fridge overnight. Even covered with cling wrap, not pushed down though. It seems to happen more with very ripe mangoes.


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## Chopstix (Oct 22, 2006)

Well, the mango blind taste test was conducted a few days ago as a fun activity at DH's conference at a beachside resort south of Bangkok.  The best mangoes from the following seven countries were sampled:  (Too bad Yakuta, India is not represented as the business there is still being set up.)

Indonesia
Vietnam
Philippines
Vietnam
Malaysia
China
Thailand

All the mangoes were served buffet-style without labels.  Each of the 30+ participants tasted all the mangoes and were allowed to cast a single vote for the best tasting mango.  

The result?  Indonesia got 0 votes.  All the rest got 1 or 2 votes except for the second highest scorer which was the Philippines with 6 votes and the hands-down winner which was...




... Thailand with 23 votes.

Of course people can argue that the taste test is inconclusive due to difference in seasonality of the various mango species but ... let's not go there.  This was just done in the spirit of fun and friendly competition.  DH said they'll try to do it again next year. Hopefully next time it will be during summer as that's when mangoes are normally at their best.

A sidelight: Because they don't have mangoes in China, the Chinese folks brought some sort of Chinese pear instead.  This was included in the taste test.  The funny thing was that China got 2 votes!!!  It rated higher than some of the real mangoes!


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## XeniA (Oct 22, 2006)

Soooo ... would they be looking for new employees at your hubby's company?


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## attie (Oct 22, 2006)

"the Chinese folks brought some sort of Chinese pear instead."
Would it have been called Ya fruit?
Great report Chopstix, are you able to tell us the varieties of Mango that you taste tested. I would have loved to have been there.


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## Snoop Puss (Oct 22, 2006)

I just love mangoes. I'm so jealous you have lots. Peel and cut into slices. Make a syrup from a little water, white sugar and lime juice. Make it a little sharp because of the sweetness of the mangoes. Pour over the fruit and leave to marinade for a while and for the mango flavour to infuse into the syrup. This is one of my all-time favourite fruit desserts and could hardly be easier (apart from peeling the mangoes!).


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## attie (Oct 22, 2006)

Snoop Puss said:
			
		

> I just love mangoes. I'm so jealous you have lots. Peel and cut into slices. Make a syrup from a little water, white sugar and lime juice. Make it a little sharp because of the sweetness of the mangoes. Pour over the fruit and leave to marinade for a while and for the mango flavour to infuse into the syrup. This is one of my all-time favourite fruit desserts and could hardly be easier (apart from peeling the mangoes!).


I would imagin that your climate would be good for growing Mangoes, ours are ready to pick around Christmas time so it's great, they realy are something nice to eat, We make a syrup with the water and sugar but add sliced onions to it, never thought about Lime juice, thanks for that.


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## GB (Oct 22, 2006)

Facinating! Thanks for the report. I wish I could have helped judge


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## Snoop Puss (Oct 22, 2006)

attie said:
			
		

> I would imagin that your climate would be good for growing Mangoes, ours are ready to pick around Christmas time so it's great, they realy are something nice to eat



Hi Attie,

I'm definitely going to look into it. I'm not sure if the rest of this message should be sent as a private message, but there seems to be so much interest in your trees that I'll post it here in case others are interested in the information.

I see from the photo that the tree is huge! Are they difficult to grow? I'm really hoping to be able to move a bit further south to a run-down farm with some land where a tree like this could grow. Not sure if this scheme will come off but it's looking more possible than it did a few months ago, so maybe it will. The climate is cold in winter but warm in summer (average daytime temperature in January is 8ºC, for example, 1.1ºC for average day and nighttime temperatures) and hot in summer (cooler evenings but in the low to mid 30s most days during the daytime). It's also quite windy. OK, I know this is mild for lots of parts of the world, but it's not the temperature most people think of when they think of Spain. 

Do you need two trees for fertilisation purposes or are they self-fertile? And the big question for Spain, do they need a lot of water? I guess so because the fruit is so juicy. And how long before the tree starts to produce fruit? And how on earth do you pick the fruit on such a large tree? Climb up?

I can't imagine anything better than a home-grown, juicy mango in yoghurt for breakfast. I'm swooning just at the thought of it.

Followed by lunch of guacamole made with home-grown avocado pears. Anyone here grow those?!


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## attie (Oct 22, 2006)

Hey Snoop Puss, I forgot to add the white vinegar to that syrup, bet it sounded strange.
That tree in the picture would be somewhere between 50 and 100 years old. They're not hard to grow at all but take 8 years to bear fruit, an 8 year old tree would be about 2.4m [8ft] tall so they're very slow growing. The commercial growers water and fertilise them but normally they need very little water, mainly around the time they're setting fruit. They need a temperate climate with no more frost than a couple of days in a row so it might be a bit cold for you. They don't like much wind when they're setting fruit, this year we had strong winds at that time and I'm going to get a poor crop. A variety called Kensington Pride is our most popular, our Mangoes originated from India.
Avocado pears grow alongside them climate wise if that helps you, make sure you get grafted trees if you can otherwise you'll be waiting 8 years as well


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## Snoop Puss (Oct 22, 2006)

Excellent advice. Thank you very much.


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## Chopstix (Oct 22, 2006)

Ayrton said:
			
		

> Soooo ... would they be looking for new employees at your hubby's company?


 
LOL. My hubby would exchange places with _you_ in Athens if that were possible.


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## Chopstix (Oct 22, 2006)

attie said:
			
		

> "the Chinese folks brought some sort of Chinese pear instead."
> Would it have been called Ya fruit?


 
Hey Attie, I've no idea.  But I do know that in the Fukien dialect, pears are called La-ya.


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## boufa06 (Oct 23, 2006)

We used to have a few mango trees in our garden while in Singapore.  I do believe they are the apple and Alfanso varieties.  Sadly, they were not as  sweet and fragrant as the Thai mangoes perhaps due to climatic and soil conditions.  Especially during rainy season, the fruit is almost tasteless. As a result, most of them ended up being used while still unripe in salads.


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## JDP (Oct 23, 2006)

*Mago Kiwi Shortcake/ w mago habenero sauce*

Here is something a little different if you like the sweet-heat for dessert


1 ripe mango
juice from 1/2 lime
8 mint leaves
seeded habenro pepper to taste
real cinnamon to taste
blend in food processor

Filling:
1 chopped ripe mango
1 chopped ripe kiwi
chiffonade ( spelling?) 3 mint leaves
mix all

4 shorcakes ( I use bisquick)

Slice the shortcake, scoop filling in, top with other half of shortcake, spoon sauce over and top with whip cream or cool whip. Garnish with mint leaves and a sprinkle of cinnamon. 

Life's too short to drink cheap wine and eat boring food,

JDP


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## egeefay (Nov 7, 2006)

Hi
Here's a favorite Thai dessert....sticky rice with Mangos.  Western people really seem to like this dish.  You need to let the mangos get ripe and yellow...sweeter the better
http://www.thaifoodtonight.com/thaifoodtonight/recipes-YOUTUBESweetRiceMango.htm


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