Brazilian mangoes: there is always a good reason to
try them.
How to choose.
Mangoes that are ready to be eaten should be soft to the
touch, but their skin should not split as a result
of the pressure.
Avoid fruit with marks or cracks,
or that are sticky, grayish or have dark spots on their
skin.
Smell the mango near its stem.
The perfume should be fresh, with the pleasant aroma of
this fruit.
The color is not always a reliable
indicator of ripeness: some varieties turn yellow when
they ripen, but others
can be red, yellowish red or orange green. Furthermore,
there are some that remain green even when they
are fully ripe.
See recommendations on how to
choose mangoes below.
For their own protection, regardless
of the variety of mangoes purchased, consumers should buy
products
that are duly labeled with brands and indications that allow the
identification of the product and its origin,
as well as of its exporters and importers.
Labels are a privileged means
of communicating the properties and origin of the product
to the consumer.
If you buy pre-packaged fruit, read the instructions
and the product’s sell-by date carefully.
Learn to recognize the main varieties of Brazilian
mangoes:
Tommy Atkins
Large fruit (400 to 600 g each) with thick, smooth skin.
When ripe, the color ranges from reddish
yellow to bright red. The pulp is dark yellow, with a sweet
and pleasant
flavor. It is juicy and has few fibers.
Haden
verage-sized fruit (300 to 400 g each), with thinner,
smoother skin. When ripe, the color ranges
from yellow to bright red. The pulp is dark yellow and
juicy,
with
few fibers.
Kent
Large fruit (600 to 750 g each), oval in shape, with
skin ranging from pale green to yellow,
with a reddish tone. The pulp is orange yellow, sweet,
free
of fibers,
aromatic and juicy.
Keitt
Large fruit (600 to 800 g each), oval in shape. When
ripe, the skin becomes a greenish
yellow, with light pink touches. The bright yellow pulp
is
firm, juicy,
sweet and free of fibers.
Palmer
Large fruit (500 to 700 g each), elongated in shape
and with orange yellow skin with brilliant
red touches, when ripe. The pulp is firm, with
little fiber and
a delicate aroma.
How to Handle
The consumer should handle mangoes carefully, because
they are sensitive to knocks
and bumps, which can cause them to develop stains
or their pulp to become mushy,
which damages the product’s
quality.
Before eating it, wash the fruit in running water with
care. If necessary, wash the
surface with a soft sponge, but never use detergents or bleaches.
Do not assume that pre-packaged
fruit is ready for immediate consumption. Make sure the
fruit has been well washed. Otherwise, wash it again.
How to store and keep in good condition
To conserve mangoes, keep them in a fresh and well-aired
place. If the fruit is
not fully ripe, speed up the ripening process by
wrapping the
fruit in the suitable sort of
paper for a few days. Ripe
mangoes should not be kept at room temperature for
more than
two days.
Should you need to keep them for more than two days,
store them in the refrigerator
for as long as five days.
