Food
5 Tips On How To Pick The Perfect Mango
We love mangos, but basically stopped buying them because somehow we always end up with the sour ones. This guide is a lifesaver!
Morgan Slimak
07.30.19

There is nothing worse than buying a mango and bringing it home to eat it, only to find that it is hard and sour inside. Mangos are one of our favorite fruits, but picking the perfect one at the store isn’t always easy. That’s why we’ve created this awesome mango picking guide.

Don’t just leave it up to chance.

Follow these tips and you’ll be sure to end up with a deliciously sweet mango next time you find yourself in the tropical fruits section of the grocery store.

PublicDomainPictures
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PublicDomainPictures

1. Don’t worry too much about color.

You might be tempted to only select mangos that are bright orange. However, when it comes to mangos, color is not always a good indication of ripeness. When a mango is fully ripe, it can be any number of different shades from yellow to orange, to a dark red. It varies a lot by type of mango. The only color you don’t want to see is green. If the mango still has large splotches of green on the outside, or even worse, it is completely green, it is best to leave it on the shelf.

Jonathan Cutrer
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Jonathan Cutrer

2. Give it a gentle squeeze.

One of the best tests you can do to determine a mango’s ripeness is to give it a gentle squeeze. A good mango will give slightly. If it feels too hard and there is no give at all, the mango is not yet ripe. On the other hand, if a mango is overly soft, that is a bad thing too. When it is very squishy, it typically means that the mango is about to rot.

YouTube Screenshot
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YouTube Screenshot

3. Compare them to peaches and avocados.

When selecting a mango, you can use your experience with other fruits to help guide you. A ripe mango feels very similar to a ripe peach or avocado. If you are going to eat it right away, you want it to be fairly soft. However, if you plan on keeping it for a few days before consuming it, it is a good idea to pick one that is slightly firmer.

Best Picko
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Best Picko

4. Smell near the stems.

Pick up the mango and see if you can smell anything. No scent means it is probably not ready to eat yet. Ripe mangos will always have a sweet and fruity aroma near their stems. If it smells sour or like alcohol though, it is likely overly ripe. Alcohol smell means the fruit is starting to ferment and has gone bad.

Bhurgriak
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Bhurgriak

5. Inspect the shape of the mango.

As you would expect, mangos should be round and plump. However, the main thing you want to check is the shape of the stem. A ripe mango’s stem will sit inside of the mango like it is embedded in the side of the fruit. If the stem is protruding from the mango still, it might be edible but it probably means that it is not perfectly ripe yet.

YouTube Screenshot
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YouTube Screenshot

It’s that easy! Follow these five tips and you will be picking mangos like a pro in no time. Mangos are one of the tastiest fruits, and now you’ll never have to worry about accidentally choosing a bad one ever again.

Check out the video below for additional instructions on picking mangos.

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Source: Mango.org

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