Living in Cleveland, I’m not about to find locally-grown mangoes. But when they’re in season in Mexico the grocery store has them, and they’re cheaper than the Florida oranges. So I might as well learn how to prep them, right?
Mangoes have a large, flat pit that can’t be removed like a peach pit. You have to cut around it. Start from the stem end and cut straight down about a half-inch from the stem, parallel to the seam in the skin.
Do the same on the other side.
You can see I got a little too close to the pit here.
With a paring knife, cut through the flesh, but not the skin, in a checkerboard pattern.
Then scoop out the flesh with a spoon.
UPDATE: Mike mentioned down in the comments that it’s easier to turn the skin inside-out and cut off the protruding chunks. So I tried it. He was right.
You should have an empty skin left.
Because I hate wasting food, I next cut the skin off the piece with the pit in it, then trim along the pit at an angle from both sides.
(You barely get anything this way, so it’s probably not worth it.)
And that’s it.
Stay tuned for how I used this …
Want more like this? For more recipes like this, that you can hold right in your hands, and write on, take notes, tear pages out if you want (Gosh, you're tough on books, aren't you?) you might be interested in How To Cook Like Your Grandmother, 2nd edition, Illustrated. Or to learn your way around the kitchen, check out Starting From Scratch: The Owner's Manual for Your Kitchen.
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10 Comments
Mmm, I love mangoes. As much as it makes me sad that I, too, live in Cleveland and cannot get them locally, its totally worth the guilt when you bite into a ripe mango! Have you tried champagne mangoes? I swear, there’s a hint of bubbliness when you take a bite! So good. They’re smaller and lighter in color, more pink and yellow, than regular mangoes.
I’ve tried your way, but there are two others I know of (one of which I use regularly, as my son loves mango):
Method #1: Peel the skin from the mango with your regular vegetable peeler. Then slice along the side of the pit on both sides (so you have two large pieces), then trim whatever you can get off the pit. Then cut the large pieces into the desired sizes.
This is the one I use. Warning: without the peel, mango is slippery, so you may end up slipping and hurting yourself with the knife and it’s *not* my fault if you do. With some practice, handling becomes much easier.
Method #2: Without peeling, slice along the side of the pit on both sides (so you have two large pieces with the peel still on). Then, on each large piece, score the flesh side in a cross-hatch pattern deep enough to reach, but not penetrate, the peel. Then turn the peel inside out, and slice off the protruding chunks.
That second method is demonstrated in a video I found (skip to :40 to jump right to the cutting, and skip to 1:00 to see what I’m trying to describe above), so if I’m not being clear above, go watch.
The video also shows a mango splitter (because we all need another single-purpose kitchen implement, right?) near the end, but I don’t see the point.
As always, thanks for the posts, Drew. I never miss one, even when I don’t post a comment.
Mike
Mike, I hadn’t thought of turning them inside-out. I’ll try that next time.
And you’re absolutely right about them being slippery. That’s why I said trying to carve around the pit probably isn’t worth it. But scraping it off with your teeth, as Kristin suggests? Oh yeah, totally worth it.
And then you scrape the fruit off the pit with your teeth, getting shreds of mango all in your teeth, but it is SO WORTH IT BECAUSE MANGOES ARE YUM.
And then you have to floss, but whatever.
I have a mango cutter which I find invaluable…providing the mango has a small cut on the end for stability. The lady who cleans my house is from ‘the islands’ and she loves it. Takes the guessing out of finding the pit
This post makes me want to take advantage of living in Mexico! I need to be getting my 5 mangos a day fix while I can!
There are about 20 types of mangos down here…my favorite are the little yellow ones (size of a mango-shaped plum). You can peel the skin as if it were from a juicy banana and then dive in! Looking forward to your recipe…
Carrie – http://www.amoritamexicana.blogspot.com
I grew up in California and when mango season rolled around my mom would fill the bottom of the fridge with dozens of mangoes. I could finish two in one go and still go back for more. The trickiest thing about cutting a mango, though, is knowing which side of the seed is flat. If you don’t cut parallel to the flat side of the seed you end up hacking the poor thing trying to find it. This is especially challenging when a mango is more round-ish than the traditional flat oval shape. Before you cut into your juicy mango, place it on the counter and try and figure out what’s the flat part or the “seam” as Drew calls it. Even round mangoes have little clues if you look closely.
I’ve been eating champagne mangoes lately (we call them Manila mangoes out here). They’re expensive but they don’t have any fiber unlike the Mexican variety so it’s like spooning out custard.
Can’t wait to see what you do with the mangoes.
From the very first time I tried a mango I loved it. Unfortunately, I was not able to eat another for almost 8 years because I seemed to be allergic to them, my lips swole badly and my mouth itched uncontrolably. After some research, I found that I wasn’t allergic to the flesh but rather the skin! Mango skin contains the same main ingredient as poison ivy, which I am highly allergic to. After learning the “correct way” to remove the flesh, I can now enjoy it after all these years! They are so wonderful, although when asked, I’ve never been able to accurately describe the flavor. It’s so strange but scrumptious! :0)
Sheena, I’d never heard that. I haven’t had any problems with it, but I’ll be much more careful with how I peel the next ones.
If the seam isn’t obvious, look for a ‘belly button.’ That little bump will be along the seam, and if you cut parallel to it all will be well… And I, too, find the meat left on the pit is best eaten directly from the pit, leaning over the sink and letting the juice run down your fingers and chin. Chefs privilege.
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