Celebrating the Mango and its Sweet Versatility

Let’s get tropical! Did you know there are hundreds of varieties of mangos? The popular fruit is not only juicy and sweet, but a nutritional powerhouse too!

National Mango Day is on July 22 giving us the perfect reason to highlight all the goodness happening when you enjoy one. Mangos contain many vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants—including vitamins A and C, folate, potassium, and magnesium. Indulging can have positive long-term benefits too, by supporting heart and digestive health.

• How to know if a mango is ripe: Focus on the feel of the mango and not the skin color because every variety of mango looks different when it’s ripe. Squeeze gently. A ripe mango will give slightly like a ripe avocado. The flesh of the mango should be soft and bright orange-yellow when it’s ready to eat.
  
  
• How to ripen mangos: Keep unripen mangos at room temperature. Only ripe mangos should be refrigerated. Mangos will continue to soften and become sweeter and softer over time. To speed up the process, you can place mangos in a brown paper bag on the counter. In two days or so, they’ll be ready to eat!

Mangos can be enjoyed in many ways. Scroll down for tips on how to cut your mango safely. Try eating it raw or blended into a smoothie. Dice it up to make chutney or even grill it! You can also pair mangos with a protein such as fish to let its versatility shine. Try these recipes:

Mango and Black Bean Salad, Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
½ red onion, finely diced
1 jalapeno (optional), seeded and diced
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 large mangos, peeled* and chopped
1 ½ cups corn kernels
¼ cup cilantro, chopped
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. lime juice
½ tsp. ground cumin
½ tsp. chili powder
Salt & pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Combine the pepper, onion, jalapeno, beans, mango, corn, and cilantro in a large mixing bowl.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together oil, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, and a pinch of salt and pepper, to taste.
3. Pour the dressing over the mango and bean mixture. Stir gently until combined.
4. Serve chilled.

Mango Chicken Curry, Serves 6-8

Stir Fry Ingredients:

2 Tbsp. avocado oil
1 ½ lbs. chicken breasts or thighs, cubed
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
4 Tbsp. red curry paste
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 mango, peeled and cubed
1 zucchini, chopped
1-3 tsp. Asian chili sauce
¼ cup Thai basil, chopped

Sauce Ingredients:

1 can coconut milk
½ large yellow onion, chopped
2 mangos, peeled* and cubed
1-inch fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled
3 Tbsp. lime juice
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. fish sauce
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. dried basil

Directions:

1. Combine all sauce ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth. Set aside.
2. Pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper.
3. Preheat oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add chicken and red curry paste. Cook until most pieces are no longer pink. Stir in red and green pepper. Continue cooking for 2 minutes.
4. Stir in mango and the sauce you made, followed by zucchini. Simmer for 5 minutes.
5. Add chili sauce, to taste.
6. Stir in fresh basil and remove from heat.

Before you serve it, give your dish a taste. If you’d like, add salt and pepper, brown sugar (for more sweetness), or chili sauce (for more heat). You can also garnish each serving with chopped mango and/or fresh basil. Enjoy!

*Note: Do not eat the mango skin. If touching it causes a rash or reaction, wear gloves when prepping your mango. This only happens in some people who are highly sensitive to poison ivy.