This summer I am going to roll out the green carpet and highlight the real stars of the season. Some of the stars we will highlight will be mangoes, peppers, herbs, tomatoes, berries, melons, onions, cucumbers, peaches and so many more! This is the time of year that we should be going to framers markets and selecting the finest products we can find.
Today I am focusing on MANGO! Now I will be honest. I did not start at a young age loving this fruit. In fact, many times I found them to the hard and bitter. Not to mention the darn seed drove me crazy. Well all of that changed when I went to Hawaii as an adult. I can still remember standing in a road side fruit shack while it poured rain. The kind woman working the store cut open the most luscious smelling fruit and cut us all a piece to try. I at first shook my head saying, “no thank you, I don’t like mangoes.” Well she told me to take it and try. So, I gave it a whirl. To my surprise this golden fruit was lusciously sweet. Almost like honey. So delicate in flavor with an overpowering smell of nectar. Kind of mindblowing to be honest. So, from that day forward I love a ripe delicious mango. Now, read that last sentence again. Ripe mango is the key. Otherwise, they are what I found so unpleasant years ago.
Here are some fun mango facts:
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The mango is known as the ‘king of fruit’ throughout the world.
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Mangos originated in East India, Burma and the Andaman Islands bordering the Bay of Bengal. Around the 5th century B.C., Buddhist monks are believed to have introduced the mango to Malaysia and eastern Asia – legend has it that Buddha found tranquility and repose in a mango grove. Persian traders took the mango into the middle east and Africa, from there the Portuguese brought it to Brazil and the West Indies. Mango cultivars arrived in Florida in the 1830’s and in California in the 1880’s.
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The Mango tree plays a sacred role in India; it is a symbol of love and some believe that the Mango tree can grant wishes.
- 1 mango provides 100% of your daily vitamin C intake.
- High in Vitamin A, B9 and fiber.
If you are skeptical of this super fruit then I have the fail safe way to select a yummy mango every time.
- Don’t focus on color. It is not the best indicator of ripeness.
- Squeeze the mango gently. A ripe mango will give slightly.
- Use your experience with produce such as peaches or avocados, which also become softer as they ripen.
- Ripe mangos will sometimes have a fruity aroma at their stem ends.
- The red color that appears on some varieties is not an indicator of ripeness. Always judge by feel.
- Keep unripe mangos at room temperature. Mangos shouldn’t be refrigerated before they are ripe.
- Mangos will continue to ripen at room temperature, becoming sweeter and softer over several days.
- To speed up ripening, place mangos in a paper bag at room temperature.
- Once ripe, mangos should be moved to the refrigerator, which will slow down the ripening process. Whole, ripe mangos may be stored for up to five days in the refrigerator.
- Mangos may be peeled, cubed and placed in an airtight container in the refrigerator for several days or in the freezer for up to six months.
Now that you are on the path for mango love like me then here are a few of my favorite recipes.
Mango Curry Chicken
2 bunches green onion, finely chopped
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 cup mango cubes
2-3 cloves garlic
2 tablespoon red curry powder
1 cup coconut milk
1 red pepper chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt
cilantro
Heat oil in large frying pan on medium heat. Add green onions and chopped garlic. Sauté until softened. Don’t let the garlic burn. Add chicken breasts and sauté until slightly browned on the outside. Lower the heat and add red curry paste.. Mix over low heat until the curry powder roasts slightly and the chicken is coated.
Add mango, red pepper and coconut milk. Cover and let simmer for 25-35 minutes. Serve with basamati rice.
Mango Key Lime Pie
1 package graham crackers, crushed into crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
5 egg yolks
zest of 1 lime
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup mango puree
1/2 cup key lime juice
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium sized bowl mix together the graham crackers, sugar, butter and cinnamon. Press into the bottom and up the sides of a pie pan. Bake in oven for 7 minutes. Remove from oven.
In a electric mixer blend the egg yolks and lime zest for 4 minutes. Add in the sweetened condensed milk and mango. Continue mixing for 2 minutes. Finally slowly mix in the key lime juice. Pour into the graham cracker crust and bake for 12 minutes. Remove from oven and cool. Place in the freezer. Top with whipping cream and garnish with a slice of lime and mango.