When Is a Mango Ripe?

Chose a mango at the supermarket that will be ready when you want to eat it.

Mangoes are tropical to sub-tropical frost tender fruits. Several varieties are grown commonly in the southern United States. Trees may grow up to 100 feet in ideal climates with a 20-foot long taproot. The trees are native to southern Asia where they enjoy warm humid temperature. The two main types of mango are the Indian and the Asian varieties. In full sun and soils with excellent drainage, the mango tree can bear fruits that are 8 to 24 ounces with exotic succulent flesh.

Description

Mangoes are oval, round or kidney shaped. They may be long and slender or chubby depending on the variety. The fruit is green until it begins to ripen. Then fruits may have golden yellow, rose, green, red or orange skins. The inside of the fruit is peach-like and juicy, although a bit fibrous. There is a large pit in the center of the fruit that may take up to half the interior. Fruit ranges from 2 to 9 inches long.

Flowers

Mangoes must have warm, dry weather to flower and set fruit. The younger trees under 10 years of age will flower annually and then become biannual or sporadic flowering trees in maturity. Most mangoes bloom in winter and fruit in summer. There are many pollinators of mango flowers. Honey and bumblebees are common pollinators, but moths and bats also will visit the flowers and spread the pollen. Rains can wash away pollen and cause the flowers to drop before they have been serviced. Commercial pollination often is done under plastic bags to prevent cross-pollination and preserve hybrid species.

Harvesting and Storage

Mango fruit usually is mature in four to five months after flowering. Mature fruits cannot be identified by color. Green fruits may be mature enough for harvesting. The best way to tell is to give the fruit a gentle tug. If it separates easily from the stem it is mature. Fruits have the best flavor if allowed to ripen on the tree but they can be removed before maturity and allowed to ripen at room temperature. Fruits are prone to bruising if they fall, and should be harvested by hand and then stored gently. Green fruit stores longer than ripe fruit and should be held in temperatures no lower than 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

Selecting Ripe Mangoes

Mangoes are shipped green commercially because they are less prone to damage. In the supermarket you will find them at all levels of ripeness. Chose fruit that is going to ripen in a few days or whenever you wish to eat it. Give the mango a gentle squeeze to determine the level of ripeness of the mango. The stem end will have a sweet fruity smell when it is ripe. Mangoes can be ripened the rest of the way on the counter or in a paper bag but should not be refrigerated until they are finished ripening. The cold temperature will stop the ripening process.

References

• National Mango Board: Selecting and Handling Mangoes
• California Rare Fruit Growers: Mango
• Purdue Horticulture; Mango; Julia F. Morton; 1987