How to Preserve Mangoes

Mangoes are enjoyed throughout the world for their richness, distinct aroma and great flavour. When mangoes are raw they are rich green in colour and then they begin to change their colour to slight orange to golden yellow as they start ripening. Mangoes are rich source of Vitamin As (beta-carotene) and E. They are  also a rich source of Selenium, which is an antioxidant. Selenium is known to be a protection against heart diseases and various other ailments. Mango also contains phenolic compounds which act as antioxidants and also are known to fight cancer. We wonder and await the mango season, and devour the fruit at the most. But we miss the mangoes for the rest of the year. Hence preserving mangoes actually enables us to enjoy mango and all it's health benefits throughout the year. Let us learn the steps of how to preserve mangoes.

How to Preserve Mangoes

1. Selection of Fruit

For storing or preserving a mango for later, you should pick a fruit which is firm when lightly squeezed. Discard the ones that are slightly rotten or have scratches or blemishes on their body. Select only those mangoes which are fully ripe. Make sure you have tasted the fruit and found it perfect for storing.

2. Clean the Fruit

Once the mangoes that are to be preserved, carefully selected, let us go through the cleaning process. Clean and wash the mangoes thoroughly. Peel the mango and discard the seed. Chop the fruit into small pieces.

3. Blend the Fruit

Place the fruit chunks in a blender and add sugar. The quantity of the sugar should be determined depending on the sweetness of the fruit. The sugar required should preferably be half the quantity of mangoes. For example if the mango pulp is 1 kg then you should be using 500 gm of sugar to preserve it. Blend the mixture to a smooth pulp. Add little lemon juice, it helps in the preserving process.

4. Store the Pulp

Once the pulp is prepared, remove it in ziplock bags or big plastic containers. Make sure that the plastic containers are thoroughly washed, cleaned and dried. The containers should be odourless and airtight. My suggestion is if you plan to use the pulp frequently then make sure you divide the pulp in portions and pack them in small ziplock bags; this way you wold need to thaw only a small portion of mango pulp and use it in your desired Fruit Pulp Recipes. If you pack the mango pulp in big ziplock bag, them scoop out the pulp as required, bring it to the room temperature and use it for consumption as required.

Mango Ice

Mangoes can also be stored as fruit ice or mango ice. Fruit ice can come handy while making sorbets or also as toppings for fruit juices. Mango ice can also be used in smoothies, Popsicle and fruit teas. To make mango fruit ice, follow simple steps:

1. Select ripe mango. Puree the fruit.

2. There is no need to add sugar.

3. Pour the puree into ice trays and freeze. You can use ice trays of various shapes and sizes. Use the mango ice whenever needed.

Preserving Raw Mangoes

Raw mangoes are preserved in various forms depending on how we wish to use them in latter times. Raw mangoes can be pickled, pureed or just preserved in the form of slices which can be stored to be used later on. We usually use raw mangoes to make curries, mango pickles, mango chutneys, raitas, and many other dishes where the recipe calls for it. Raw mangoes are also preserved in form of raw mango concentrate also known as  Aam ka Panna.

 Here's a detailed recipe of how to make Aam Ka Panna Concentrate Recipe - Bottled Raw Mango Concentrate Recipe.

How to store raw mango slices

Wash and clean the raw mangoes carefully. Pat them dry and peel off the skin. Slice them or chop them as per your requirement. Spread the sliced raw mango on a tray and allow them to dry a bit, if possible in sunlight or you can keep them overnight below a fan. Now pack these slices in small portions in ziplock bags or airtight bags, preferably use small ziplock bags and place small quantities of mango slices in them. Pack and place it in the freezer. This way you can use as much as you want for whichever recipes you plan to cook anytime later. With place constraints in the freezer, if you have to pack all of them in one big ziplock bag - no worries, whenever you wish to use some of the slices, just take out the ziplock bag, tap it lightly on the counter top of your kitchen and remove few slices which separate from the rest and use. Place the ziplock bag right back in the freezer immediately. Once thawed never place those mango slices back in the freezer. They should be used immediately. These mango slices can also be used in chutneys, pickles, raitas, curries or tangy sauces.