So, how do you cut up a mango?
As title! The Small Person loves the slimy fruits, and I spent ten minutes this morning trying to chop the fruit off the stone without reducing the whole thing to mush. There must be a technique to this.
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12 Responses to “So, how do you cut up a mango?”
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Ah. I think I saw this done on This Morning about 10 years ago.
You cut it in half by rotating the knife through it (around the stone) and then twist it to seperate the two halfs from the stone in the middle. Then you cut a criss-cross into the flesh of your half-mango. Next you turn the half-mango inside out. It should now look like a fruity hedgehog. Just chop the spikes off.
Am I thinking of a mango? I think so. Hope that works out for you.
I cut off the end bits then sort of suck the big stone.
you could also just resign yourself to the mush. Try rubbing the fruit vigourously between both hands until the whole pulp becomes liquified. You can tell when this has happened because the mango goes a little saggy and squishy. At this point you can pierce a whole in the skin and let the little one suck out the liquified pulp. Tastes good like that.
You know, I sold knives for cutco one summer (you know, those really sharp knives!) and I eventually found out how many things I’ve never cut before. One mainly being a pineapple. I then had customers show me their favorite things to cut, had someone cut a mango, I’d tell you, but for now, I’m stuck with the knowledge of a pineapple.
Cutting up a Mango
1. Slice off both sides close to the seed to create two halves.
2. Hold one half, peel side down, in your cupped hand or place on a cutting board.
3. Score pulp in a crosshatch pattern, down to, but not through the peel (repeat with other half).
4. Bend mango backward until the center pops up.
5. Cut off exposed cubes.
Cut the majority of the meat away from the pit in two pieces by cutting along the flat side of the seed. Then score the cut side of the fruit with a knife in a criss-cross pattern, being careful not to cut all the way through the skin. Now simply push the fruit from the skinside inwards – basically turning the fruit inside out You can now eat bit-sized chunks without much mess at all!
Elly votes for the “hedgehog” approach suggested by Peter & John B.
I, however, having grown up in a house with a mango tree in the garden, would like to point something out. There are different types of mangoes. A key distinction is between those with fibrous and flat stones.
The ones that are insanely difficult to destone tend to have fibrous stones — like Kling peaches, these are VERY messy to deconstruct. If the little person is a real fan, perhaps you might be better off trying to find a source of flat stoned mangoes
I am glad I am not the only one who has trouble! Thanks for all the useful tips!
Ahhhhh….. this reminds me of that infamous ‘how do you get a cork out of a wine bottle without smashing it’question. Impossible but once seen it’s a doddle.
The trick with the mango is this – buy tinned fruit! Hey presto job done, plus you will open yourself up to the fantastic world of peach slces, pear halves, or for that little special occasion fruit salad. Hope this helps you as much as your CSS Tips n’ Tricks book has me – thanks
p.s. – if you are thinking about the wine bottle trick don’t, it drove me nuts for 6 months until I begged the answer from the man in the know
Relax , the Little Prince(ss) won’t mind the mush as long as you have an interesting story to go along with it .
Right. The “cut in halves, then criss-cross” method was of course popularized by none other than Hercule Poirot (in The Underdog, I believe.) An even simpler solution is…. Cut the mango into its halves and scoop the flesh out of each half with a large spoon. Then cut mango half as desired. Good luck, small person. BTW, seed sucking is recommended.
For some reason I remembered your post about mangos (probably ‘cos I’ve always had trouble cutting them up without making a right old mess). But I saw this today which seemed like a good solution…
http://lifehacker.com/software/cooking/how-to-cut-a-mango-185005.php