How to Choose Mangos

The mango is a wonderfully healthy and deliciously sweet fruit, providing vitamins C, A, E, and essential B vitamins, as well as other vital nutrients, including calcium, potassium, iron, and magnesium. However, in order to best enjoy this tropical delight, you've got to know how to choose a good mango.

Things You'll Need

• A little knowledge
• Your nose

Instructions

1. Decide when you want to eat the mango. If you want to eat it within a day or so, you'll want to choose a riper mango. If you plan on storing your mangoes for a few days, or want to to make sure to have enough until your next shopping trip, you'll want to choose those that are less ripe or in differing stages of ripeness.

2. Look for mangoes with smooth, unblemished skin, without bruises. Bruised areas will promote spoiling. Those with excessive freckling are also prone to going bad quickly. Avoid those that have a dull look to them. While green mangoes are favored in some recipes for, out of hand eating, it is best to choose mangoes that are starting to turn reddish in color. Deep red can be an indication of being over-ripe, so mangoes of that color should be checked further before purchasing. If you see even the slightest hint of wrinkling in the skin, the mango is beyond its peak flavor point and on its way to spoiling.

3. Smell them once you've selected a few nice looking mangoes. A sweet, but not cloyingly sweet, scent is what you want. Those with a too heavily sweet smell are close to being too ripe, and will probably be starting to turn brown inside. Those without even a hint of smell to them are not a good choice, even for storing, as if it were picked too soon, it may never ripen correctly. If you are trying to choose mangoes that will last until your next shopping trip, choose those with a light scent around the stem area.

4. Feel each one after you've separated out some nice looking, sweet smelling mangoes. You are checking to see if they feel too soft. A mushy feel means that the mango is past its prime eating time. A ripe mango at peak flavor should have a bit of give to the surface, but will still retain a bit of firmness. If the skin feels sticky or you see juice on the skin, put it back. It is too ripe and will soon spoil.

5. Buy your mangoes. Make sure that the checkout person doesn't bang your mangoes around and take care to treat them gently, preventing bruises that will cause spoiling.

Tips & Warnings

• Try to avoid refrigerating your mangoes. If you must, let them come to room temperature before eating to enjoy their sweetness at its finest.