The Trick To Choosing A Perfectly Ripe Mango Every Time

Mangoes are one of the tastiest fruits out there. Sweet, juicy, and with just the right amount of tang, mangoes can be eaten as they are or used in a variety of dishes like a coconut chia seed pudding or a savory mango salsa. However, things go downhill when you cut into a mango expecting it to be ripe, sweet, and soft, but it turns out to be sour, taut, and entirely unripe. You can save yourself a lot of disappointment by learning to identify a ripe mango, and one of the best ways is to give it the touch test.

To do this, simply give the mango a light squeeze, but be careful not to be too aggressive as it can damage the fruit. If the mango is ripe, it'll be slightly firm but not rock hard. It will be a little soft and will give away lightly under your fingers. On the flip side, if the mango gets mushy and falls apart under the slightest bit of pressure, it's overripe. Lastly, if the mango doesn't give in despite some pressure and is extremely firm, that indicates that it's not ripe and needs more time. If you happen to have an unripe one on hand, here's a fun way to turn it into a salty snack with just two ingredients — salt and chili.

Determining whether a mango is ripe can be tricky. While color is a great indicator for ripeness with some fruits and vegetables, this isn't always the case with mangoes, because they come in over a thousand varieties with varying flavors and shades. Some varieties, like Keitt mangoes, stay green even when they are ripe. Others, like the Tommy Atkins variety, are generally red with only a splash of yellow that only darkens when the fruit is ripe. Given the differences, green is not always an indicator of an unripe mango, whereas yellow isn't always the sign of a ripe one.

If you're hesitant to squeeze the fruit at the store or want to double-check its ripeness, another great method is to smell it — ripe mangoes will give off a pleasant fruity aroma. Or, try looking for dark patches near the crown of the fruit — these are caused when the mango stem drips sap on the fruit, signifying that it's ripe. Unfortunately, many buyers are put off by these spots, assuming them to be signs of decay, but really, they're indicators of ripeness. 

Having under- or overripe mangoes isn't necessarily a bad thing, provided you know what to do with them. If you have a ton of underripe mangoes, just set them on the counter where they will mature in time. If you have fully mature mangoes that are on their way to becoming mushy, stash them in the fridge to slow down the ripening process — this will buy you around five more days to consume the fruit.