Mad About Mango!
Mango, one of the earliest cultivated fruits, has been grown in India for about
5,000 years. At least 500 mango varieties are grown there. In Hawaii, mangos are
a common backyard fruit often eaten ripe, but they are also enjoyed green with
vinegar, soy sauce, salt, and pepper.
Mango Tips
Mangos can be round, oval, or oblong and the fruit color can vary from green to
yellow-orange. When buying mangos, select unblemished, firm fruit. It will ripen
in three to five days at room temperature. If refrigerated, mango keeps well for
about a week.
If you are lucky enough to have a mango tree, you may be overwhelmed with your
crop. Mango pulp can be successfully frozen for about one year as puree or
slices. Peel mangos, remove pulp from the seed, and use a food processor fitted
with a steel blade to puree the fruit. Pour the puree into ice cube trays and
freeze. Pack cubes into freezer bags, or pour puree directly into freezer bags
and freeze as a block. To freeze mango slices, seal them tightlyin freezer bags
or containers. Do not add sugar or water.
Frozen mango puree slices easily with a sharp knife, almost like cold butter. No
need to thaw. Return remainder of unused, frozen mango puree immediately to the
freezer. Frozen mango puree can be used in sorbet, salad dressing, and marinade.
Grow Mango!
Clean the fuzzy mango seed removing as much pulp as possible. Plant it
horizontally in a six-inch pot with a good planting medium.Place the seed on the
surface of the pot with about a quarter of the seed embedded in the soil. Do not
overwater and feed as you would a regular house plant. Mangos are hearty plants
and in about a month you will have a mango plant underway. As the plant matures,
shape your "tree" by pinching off leaves.
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