How to Cook with and Prepare Ripe Mangoes

IMAGE courtesy of Pixabay

 

Ripe, ultra-sweet, yellow mangoes are undoubtedly a favorite in the Philippines and many of its neighboring tropical countries. Know how to cook with, bake with, serve, and prepare this delicious fruit!

 

IMAGE Patrick Martires

 

Salads and Salsas

 

Use just ripened, still slightly firm mangoes for mixing into your salads and salsas. There will definitely be a lot of tossing involved, and you don't want your salad greens and salsa to be overly-mushy and watery! Slice them into bite-sized cubes for salads and chop them finely for salsa. You can also whiz some in a blender to make a sweet salad dressing! 

 

 

 

Sauces

 

Yellowish orange, very ripe mangoes are great for sauces-they are big on flavor and very sweet. Balance out the sweetness with spicy peppers and a squeeze of citrus juice. All you have to do is throw everything into a food processor and whiz away. The citrus juice will also prevent your mangoes from oxidizing.

 

 

IMAGE At Maculangan

 

Desserts

 

Fruit is nature's candy. Use very ripe mangoes for cheesecakes, no-bake pies, cakes, mango floats-your options are endless! Just remember: hold back on the sugar and let the fruit's natural sweetness do its work. Show off your knife skills and slice them neatly for extra impressive presentation.

 

 

 

Jams and Chutneys

 

Use ripe but firm mangoes for jams and chutneys. Both have added sugar, so overripe mangoes will be sweetness overload! Remember to layer these sweet treats with other flavors like spices, herbs, and other tropical fruits (mangoes and pineapples make excellent jams!). Ripe Indian mangoes are also great for making chutney from scratch. Serve mango chutney with grilled meats like lamb and pork and spread mango jam over toast and muffins.

 

 

Drinks

Is there anything more refreshing than a fresh, ripe mango in a cold drink? Use very ripe (even overripe!) mangoes for mango shakes, slushies, and cocktails for tropical happy hour. Our pro tip: you won't even taste the veggies if you blend ripe mangoes into your green smoothies!