“Can you eat unripe mango?” is most probably a question that anyone who tried to eat mango had in mind.
This fruit has a great taste and texture, but it is difficult to get it when it is perfectly ripe. It is like avocado, you let it sit for a few days, it doesn’t look ready to eat, you blink twice, and suddenly it is overripe and not good to eat anymore.
I know this from my experience, I really like mango, but I had to throw a few away for this reason, and it is a shame because I don’t like throwing food away, and also mango can be quite expensive. So this is why I decided to write an article about eating unripe mango and how to know if it is ripe or not.
Also, I will get you through how to buy a good mango from the store since this is the first step when you want to eat a good fresh mango.
Can you eat unripe mango?
Yes, it is totally safe to eat unripe mango, and it can even have some extra health benefits compared to the ripened one. Unripe mango contains more Vitamin C and Fibers than the ripened ones, which can benefit your health. However, eating unripe mango is not a great experience since it is not sweet enough, and it is way too hard to chew through it.
So while it is safe to eat unripe mango, it is not a thing that you will want to do if you don’t necessarily have to. You can certainly get your fiber and Vitamin C dose from other sources that have much better taste and texture, like a perfectly ripe apple or other fruits.
How to know when mango is ripe
The best way to know if the mango is ripe is to press it gently with your thumb, it should give back a bit when you gently press it. If it is too firm, it is most probably unripe. But this should not be a problem since mangoes like avocados, kiwis, and bananas continue to ripen after being picked.
I would recommend you go for the firmer ones rather than ones that are soft since, as I said, it will rip in a few days, but if it is already soft, you have bigger chances that it will go bad too fast or even worst, has already gone bad.
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How to ripen mango faster
Since it is safer to pick a mango that is not yet ready to eat, I will give you a few tips on how to ripen mango faster:
-Place the mango in a paper bag, mango emits ethylene which is a gas that helps it to be ripe faster, so if you place it in a plastic bag, the gas will stay close to the fruit for more time.
-Place the mango near other fruits that emit ethylene. The most well-known ones are bananas, apples, and avocados.
This depends on how quickly you want to eat or use your mango. If you plan to store your mango for a longer time, you can place it away from other food in the fridge, preferably in an airtight container.
If you plan to eat it quickly, you can use the methods above and make sure to check it frequently since, as I said at the beginning of the article, mango has this annoying thing that goes way too fast from unripe to overripe.
Keeping more mangoes together will speed up the ripening process compared to only one mango kept in the fruit bowl.
How to buy a good mango
For having the best experience when you eat a mango, it is crucial you get a good one from the store.
I will give you a few things to check when you buy a mango.
-Texture. The texture should be firm, but it should give a little when you press it with your thumb. Make sure it doesn’t have any weird softer spots. Also, it should not have any wrinkles or cracks.
-Smell. Good mangoes will have a fragrant sweet smell at their steam. If somehow it is too sweet, it can be a sign that it is overripe. If the texture is good, you can only buy a mango that smells too sweet if you plan to eat it that day.
-Color. I added color here only to let you know that the color is not a good indication of how ripe the mango is. But if there are weird dark spots, it can indicate that the mango is bad.
So make sure you check all the signs before buying a mango, don’t be afraid to touch and smell the mango.
Read Also: Can Turmeric Be Eaten Raw?
Is it safe to eat mango skin?
Mango skin is safe to eat, but most likely, it will not be a pleasant experience since it is crunchy and the taste it can be bitter, so I would not recommend eating it raw.
You can use it when cooking a few recipes, and also, you can make mango peel syrup with it, which I don’t think is the best syrup, but it is an option if you don’t want to discard the peel.
Conclusion
The conclusion is that it is safe and healthy to eat unripe mango, but it is not tasty, and it has a way too crunchy texture.
So if somehow you are in a situation where you have to eat that mango now, you should not be worried about the health risk. But if it is not necessarily to eat it right away, you can let it ripe for a few more days in order to enjoy your delicious mango.
