Monti Carlo On How to Pick A Perfect Mango! [Video]
The Mango is a notable food on “The Clean Fifteen List”
Mango season is upon us!
The humble mango is the #1 most consumed fruit on the planet. It is also on the Clean Fifteen list, which means its thick skin protects its flesh from pesticide residues, so you don’t have to buy organic.
You don’t necessarily have to buy fresh either. Frozen mangoes are harvested at the peak of ripeness, so they can be superior in flavor and nutrition when compared to fresh mangoes, which are picked green and ripen on the journey to your market.
When selecting a fresh mango, try to pick one that gently gives when pressed with a fingertip. Smell the stem end. There should be a honey-like fragrance.
If your only option is to buy a green mango, put it in a paper bag with a banana or an apple. Both these fruits emit a gas that helps ripen everything around it. Or eat it green. You can cut it into thin strips like you would a carrot. Soak it in a little salt water then drain it and mix it into salads.
When you prepare a mango, first wash it to remove dirt from the farm and market. You can use a simple paste of baking soda and water. Sit the mango on its thinnest, longest side with the stem facing the tip of your knife. The stem is the pointed top of a long, flat seed the runs the length of the mango.
How To Pick ThePerfect Mango
Slice down each broad side of the pit. Lay the seed flat and slice down each thin side.
Place one of the big halves in your hand, skin side down. Use the lip of a glass to press between the flesh and the skin. In a fast motion, scoop out the mango flesh by pushing the rim of the glass from your fingertips to the palm of your hand. The mango half will fall into the glass, and you will reserve juices.
You can then place the flat side of the mango flesh down on your cutting board, and slice then dice.
I know there’s a great trick of slicing the mango half in a criss-cross manner and then turning it inside out, so it looks like a hedgehog. However, if your mango was exposed to pesticides, the residue lingers on the skin, which fingers can easily transfer to lips.
I prefer to take the peel out of the equation early on.
The most delicious and nutritious mangoes are allowed to ripen on the tree. Your best bet is to source mangoes grown as close to your home as possible.
What’s your favorite brand’s Quality Score? Find out where your mangoes come from, their nutritional content, and if they were exposed to pesticides at EverythingFood.com
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