How to determine the degree of ripeness of a mango and ripen the fruit at home

Translated from Sanskrit, the ancient language of India, mango means “great fruit.” The volume of its consumption exceeds the number of bananas and apples eaten in the world. This tropical fruit is loved by the residents of our country due to its rich sweet taste and pleasant resinous-fruity aroma with a hint of floral. In this article we will tell you how to determine the ripeness of a mango and ripen the green fruit at home.

Is it possible to eat unripe mangoes and how to ripen them at home?

Most popular types - Thai, Philippine, Vietnamese and Balinese mango. The color of the peel can be yellow, green, orange or red. The shape of the fruit is elongated, round, ovoid or pear-shaped. The average weight of one fruit is 300-400 g, some specimens reach 1 kg.

Mangoes are supplied to the Russian market unripe. This is due to the characteristics of tropical fruits. This is done not only with mangoes, but also with bananas and pineapples. The green, inedible fruit can ripen on its own outside the tree. It produces ethylene gas, the so-called “ripening hormone.” Under its action, tannins break down, and starch turns into sugar. The authorship of this discovery belongs to the Russian botanist Dmitry Nelyubov.

Picked mangoes can ripen faster than those left on the branch.. Under conditions of moisture deficiency and accidental damage, ethylene production increases.If you place one ripe fruit next to unripe fruits, the ripening process will go faster.

Mangoes often ripen on their way from the tropics to our shelves, so you can buy a completely ripe fruit in the store.

The red color of the peel does not indicate full ripening of the fruit., but only says that it was generously illuminated by the sun's rays while hanging on the tree.

How to tell if the fruit is still green: it is heavy and hard to the touch, has a dark green skin color, does not smell of anything, after cutting it is difficult to remove the seed, the flesh is sour and astringent to the mouth. Some consumers describe the taste of unripe mango as soapy and unpleasant.

Can you eat unripe mango? In the homeland of the culture, India, sauces, marinades and side dishes for fish and meat are prepared from unripe fruits.. Therefore, you can not throw away green mango, but cut it into a salad or add it to a vegetable stew for piquancy.

Interesting! Alcohol and mango are completely incompatible products. The acid contained in the pulp irritates the walls of the stomach and, in combination with alcohol, causes nausea, vomiting and gastrointestinal upset.

How mangoes ripen at home

Where to put mangoes to ripen? If you bought a fruit that is obviously unripe, leave it at room temperature on a tray next to bananas or apples. After 3-4 days it will “reach” and become soft.

A few simple ways to speed up ripening using newspaper or baking paper and cereal.

Wrapping in paper

If you bought a green mango, how to make the fruit ripen? Paper will help to ripen mangoes quickly. Wrap it in regular newspaper or baking parchment and place the package in a dark place room temperature. After 24-48 hours it will become soft and a fruity aroma will appear.

Wrapping a mango with an apple or banana will speed up the process. due to an increase in the released ethylene.

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Ripening with cereals

Indian housewives use a proven method of ripening mangoes: Place it in a bowl, pan or bag with uncooked rice. In such conditions, the fruit ripens not in a few days, but in just a couple of hours. For example, if you put mango in rice in the morning, in the evening, or at most by the next morning, you will get a ripe fruit. Experienced housewives advise looking into the container every 3-7 hours to prevent over-ripening.

How to bring a mango to ripeness? Not only rice will help, but also corn kernels or cereals. This method is practiced by Mexican housewives.

Reference. Unripe fruits contain more ascorbic acid, while ripe ones contain more vitamin A and less vitamin C.

Determining the degree of ripeness and proper storage

In order not to later wonder how to make a mango ripe, it is better to be able to determine the degree of ripeness of the fruit even when purchasing. It is not difficult:

1. Ripe the fruit exudes a bright sweetish-resinous, fruity smell, especially in the area of ​​the stalk.
2. When pressed, the flesh springs slightlylike a ripe peach.
3. The skin of a ripe fruit is shiny, smooth and dense, color varies from yellow to red-orange depending on the variety. There are varieties of green mango with orange flesh, but they are extremely rare on our shelves.
4. Dark spots on the surface of the fruit do not always indicate that the product has begun to deteriorate. The fruit probably contains a lot of sucrose.However, if the spots are soft and can be easily pressed with a fingernail, it is better not to buy the fruit.
5. The most delicious and aromatic fruits have spherical shape.

The ripe fruit smells of both pineapple and peach with a light trail of pine needles. Connoisseurs of this exotic fruit are sure that the strong aroma indicates one hundred percent ripeness.

Storage rules:

1. Don't put green fruits in the refrigerator - the ripening process in such conditions slows down, and the product will deteriorate. Keep ripe and overripe fruits in the crisper drawer in the refrigerator compartment.
2. Shelf life of ripe fruit in the refrigerator - 5-6 days at a temperature of +2...+5°C, in the freezer - six months at –18°C. When frozen, the product retains its taste.
3. Cut fruit quickly deteriorates, the flesh darkens and loses its taste.. Store this product in a food container with an airtight lid for no more than 24 hours.
4. Unripe mangoes can be stored for up to 7 weeks. at a temperature of +7...+9°C and air humidity of 90%.

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Conclusion

When buying a green mango, the question arises: how to make it ripen? Indian housewives practice a very successful method - they ripen fruits in raw rice. This enhances the production of natural ethylene gas, and a ripe product can be obtained in a maximum of 24 hours.

Wrapping it in newspaper or parchment is another effective way to keep mangoes ripe. However, a completely ready-to-eat product can only be obtained after 48 hours. If there is nowhere to rush, the fruits are left at room temperature for several days.