Mango Prep and Tools: How Do You Prep a Mango?

chrish1 · June 16, 2005

I picked up some nice ripe mangoes the other day. They were very fragrent and tasty, however, I absolutely butchered the darn things while attempting to separate the flesh from the stone. Any tips for next time?

lperry · June 16, 2005

Hold the mango on end with the stem pointing up. Look down on it and you will see that it is fatter in one direction than the other. Since the seed is flat, you can tell that it runs parallel to the longer axis. Now get a very sharp knife, start at the stem and cut down to the board from top to bottom just against the flat part of the seed. You will be able to feel it with the edge of the knife. Voila. One half of a mango without a seed. Turn and do the other side leaving the seed by itself, then take off the little ring of flesh remaining. Score the cut off sides like you would an avocado (down to the skin), push up in the mango skin to flip out the fruit, you sort of turn it inside out, then you can cut it from the skin. Or you can just peel it. It's much easier to peel when it is off the seed.

Does that make sense?

-Linda

divalasvegas · June 16, 2005

I picked up some nice ripe mangoes the other day. They were very fragrent and tasty, however, I absolutely butchered the darn things while attempting to separate the flesh from the stone. Any tips for next time?
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The cover of the current issue of Saveur is devoted to all things mango. They have step-by-step instructions with photos of exactly how to dismantle one of those luscious things as well as resources for obtaining a wide variety of mangoes each with its own taste profile.

Enjoy!

zilla369 · June 16, 2005

Hey, I got your mango tutorial right here! :biggrin:

eGullet Culinary Institute Basic Knife Skills

Scroll down, it's near the bottom of the course. With pictures!

SuzySushi · June 16, 2005

My husband devised a quite different method, for when you want to eat the mango with a spoon out of the flesh.

Cut around the middle of the mango crosswise -- not following the seed. Now hold both ends (or top and bottom, and twist in opposite directions as if opening a jar. Voila! One half of the manog will pop off without the seed, and you can use a paring knife to trim the seed out of the other half.

PassionateChefsDie · June 16, 2005

My husband devised a quite different method, for when you want to eat the mango with a spoon out of the flesh.
Cut around the middle of the mango crosswise -- not following the seed. Now hold both ends (or top and bottom, and twist in opposite directions as if opening a jar. Voila! One half of the manog will pop off without the seed, and you can use a paring knife to trim the seed out of the other half.
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I've heard about this before I still dont believe that it can be done, I heard about from a chef who provided the mangoes, he tried and never could replicate this, he reckoned it only worked with certain varietys!(Whenever I've tried I just end up with mango puree)

Another way is to cut wedges out, two cuts opposite angles and pop the wedge out then just run the knife next to the skin to remove it, perfect wedges and the sweeteness next to the skin with the mango not the skin.

SuzySushi · June 17, 2005

My husband devised a quite different method, for when you want to eat the mango with a spoon out of the flesh.
Cut around the middle of the mango crosswise -- not following the seed. Now hold both ends (or top and bottom, and twist in opposite directions as if opening a jar. Voila! One half of the manog will pop off without the seed, and you can use a paring knife to trim the seed out of the other half.
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I've heard about this before I still dont believe that it can be done, I heard about from a chef who provided the mangoes, he tried and never could replicate this, he reckoned it only worked with certain varietys!(Whenever I've tried I just end up with mango puree)
Another way is to cut wedges out, two cuts opposite angles and pop the wedge out then just run the knife next to the skin to remove it, perfect wedges and the sweeteness next to the skin with the mango not the skin.
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We do it all the time. It works with Hadens and Tommy Atkins, which are the most widely available varieties here. Haven't tried it on some of the others.

(Believe it or not, there are at least 143 varieties of mangoes, as depicted in this poster!)

fifi · June 18, 2005

That is an exceedingly cool link, SuzySushi. I knew there were lots of varieties of mangos but this poster really brings it home.

Mangoes are fascinating becase there are so many types and even when wthin one type, the degree of ripeness affects the taste so much.

Milagai · June 19, 2005

That is an exceedingly cool link, SuzySushi. I knew there were lots of varieties of mangos but this poster really brings it home.
Mangoes are fascinating becase there are so many types and even when wthin one type, the degree of ripeness affects the taste so much.
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then there are the "chausa" (sucking) mango varieties in india:

you don't peel or anything.

bite a hole in the top, massage the mango until the flesh

liquefies, and suck out through the top.....

milagai

docsconz · August 7, 2005

Oxo has come out with a new device to separate mango pulp from their seeds. Here's a Quicktime Movie showing it in use.

Has anyone tieed this yet? I am not quite sure how it would deal with differrent sized mangos with different sized seeds. They purport that it leaves essentially no pulp on the seed.

Susan in FL · August 7, 2005

From looking at the Quicktime movie, I don't think it does a better job than I do with ease. But thanks, that was interesting.

BarbaraY · August 7, 2005

From looking at the Quicktime movie, I don't think it does a better job than I do with ease. But thanks, that was interesting.
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I couldn't load the Quicktime program but got the Windows Media vesion. It didn't appear that it got the mango seed any cleaner than I do, either. I would like to see it in reality to better judge.

ladyyoung98 · August 7, 2005

i have to agree with the others..i can do the same thing with a regualr knife..not to mention the gadget still wasted some of te pulp

Sam Salmon · August 7, 2005

They'd sell more of them if they were 100% Stainless Steel-people love shiny things! :raz:

Richard Kilgore · August 7, 2005

I saw a similar tool at W-S recently. It did the same thing, plus removed the skin. I did not see it in action and thought it might remove too much pulp both at the seed and next to the skin. Has anyone used one of these?

I would see one of these tools as potentially useful for most people only if you need to do a large quantity of Mangos.

peppyre · August 7, 2005

This would be fabulous for kids. My 11 year old stepsister loves mangoes and will eat 2 or 3 a day. I cringe everytime I see her using a knife for one and I just know she's going to slice her finger one day. And since she always sucks the pulp off the seeds absolutely nothing would go to waste with her. I think this is going to be her Christmas present this year.

Richard Kilgore · August 7, 2005

This would be fabulous for kids. My 11 year old stepsister loves mangoes and will eat 2 or 3 a day. I cringe everytime I see her using a knife for one and I just know she's going to slice her finger one day. And since she always sucks the pulp off the seeds absolutely nothing would go to waste with her. I think this is going to be her Christmas present this year.
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Great idea! I was thinking of most adults when I posted. It would also be useful for people with any disability that would make using a regular knife either awkward or dangerous.

NickV · August 7, 2005

There was a blurb about this new gadget in the NY Times Magazine today. I'm not much for extra tools in the kitchen, but I'm wondering if this thing really works. Not all mangoes have the same size seed, so I could see that being a bit of a problem.

http://www.thegadgetsource.com/719812014579.html

slkinsey · August 7, 2005

OXO mango splitter

Rachel Perlow · August 7, 2005

It looks like you have to exert considerable pressure on the mango to make the splitter go through. The mango in the movie looked rather firm. I wonder how a soft ripe mango would come out?

SuzySushi · August 8, 2005

But... but... that takes all the fun out of standing naked over the kitchen sink with the mango juice running down my chin and arms!

ladyyoung98 · August 8, 2005

But... but... that takes all the fun out of standing naked over the kitchen sink with the mango juice running down my chin and arms!
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:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

fou de Bassan · August 8, 2005

I think this would be a great tool for kids as mentioned above or for those with arthritis or were otherwise unable to handle a slippery object and a knife. In fact, I'm thinking of getting one for a friend who has arthritis.

Jason Perlow · August 8, 2005

It looks like you have to exert considerable pressure on the mango to make the splitter go through. The mango in the movie looked rather firm. I wonder how a soft ripe mango would come out?
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Splorch?

Human Bean · August 8, 2005

Interesting, but I tend not to like single-purpose gadgets, and wouldn't use one enough to make it worthwhile.

OTOH, having seen a demo of the Vacuvin pineapple slicer, that's one way-cool single-purpose gadget - I might get one just as an excuse to eat more pineapple.

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