Have some beautiful, purple, shiny mangosteens at home and wondering how to store them?
Mangosteens, or let’s call them the queen of fruits, are beautiful and exotic tropical fruits.
They not only taste great but can be used in other dishes to enhance the taste. Because they are less common in the US, not many people know how to deal with them.
It’s especially true when it comes to purchasing and then storing the mangosteens. If you’re also one of those folks, we are here to help you. In this guide, we’ll discuss everything you need to know regarding the purchase, storage, and uses of the beautiful mangosteens.
Let’s begin with how to store mangosteens. They’re quite expensive, so you’ll want to milk them for all they’re worth.
How to store mangosteen
Mangosteens should be kept at 10 C/50 F, so in a cold pantry. Do not keep mangosteens in the fridge, because they will lose flavor and bruise the many juice sacs in the wedges.
You can also keep mangosteens at room temperature, but this is not for long terms storage. It depends a lot on their level of ripeness.
How long does mangosteen last ?
A fully ripe mangosteen lasts a couple of days at room temperature, and up to a week in a cold pantry (10 C/50 F).
An unripe mangosteen lasts up to 2 weeks at room temperature. It will ripen as the days go by, so keep an eye on it.
If kept at 10 C/50 F then mangosteens can be good for as long as 4 weeks, assuming they start out unripe. If full ripe, only keep them for about a week in a cold pantry.
Do not stick them in the fridge or freezer, you will ruin the flavor and texture.
Storage tips for mangosteens
If you have perfectly ripe mangosteens, you can leave them at room temperature in a clean and dry place. They will be good for about 48 hours.
These are tropical fruits. They can’t tolerate extremely high or extremely low temperatures. So, to keep them fresh for longer, you need to store them at moderate temperatures.
If you’re looking for long-term use, then it is recommended to buy slightly unripe mangosteens. This is because they will keep ripening on their own, and you’ll get perfect fruits when you are ready to enjoy them.
So, a good idea is to pick some ripe as well as unripe mangosteens. Use the ripe ones immediately or in 1-2 days and leave the unripe ones for later use.
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Moreover, if you want to ripen the unripe mangosteens quickly, simply put them in a paper bag or even wrap them in a newspaper. This will trap the ethylene all fruits produce on their own, which will speed up the ripening process.
In a way you should think of mangostees as avocados. They behave very similarly in terms of how they ripen, how fast they ripen, how long they last at room temperature, and how they feel when ripe.
Can I freeze mangosteens?
Do not freeze mangosteens, as you will damage the taste. There’s something special about mangosteen, and freezing ruins that special flavor. No one is sure why, but through trial and error folks have found that it’s a bad idea.
And given how expensive a single mangosteen is, you may want to play it safe.
This also goes for refrigerating mangosteens. Unless your fridge is at 10-12 C/50-55 F, don’t keep them in the fridge. They’re really sensitive fruit.
Long-term storage for mangosteen
If you’ve got an entire box full of mangosteens and have no way of eating all of them, and they’re all becoming ripe, you can always make jam or preserves.
You can also make mangosteen in syrup.
All of these options keep well in a cold pantry for months on end, as long as you properly sterilize the containers, and make sure they’re tightly closed.
Keep in mind that neither preserves nor syrup won’t taste as great as fresh mangosteen. Still, they’re a viable option for storage if you need to keep a log of mangosteens for a long time.
How to pick the best mangosteens
The best time to buy mangosteens is in the hot summers. This is the peak season when you get the tastiest fruits. However, you can easily find them throughout the year.
Now, in order to pick the best quality mangosteens, head on to your local Asian market. This place will give you the freshest and the most amazing fruits.
Although they can be purchased online, it is recommended to purchase from a local market if you’re new to this fruit. Also, it will save you a lot of money as well.
Once you’ve found your Asian fruit shop, look for the mangosteens that are deep purple, shiny, and have a green cap along with some leaves.
They should give in when you apply a little pressure with your thumb. This is a sign they’re fully ripe. There should be no holes or resin discharge on their skins. This hints that some insects have already devoured it before you.
Moreover, as we discussed above, if you’re buying for later use, then pick a mix of slightly more ripe and some firm fruits. You can use the ripe ones in 2 to 3 days and let the firm ones ripe until you’re ready to use them.
How to prepare mangosteens before eating them
Preparing mangosteens before eating can be a tricky task for someone who has seen this fruit for the first time. But the good thing is, it is not as hard as it sounds.
Although the ideal way to prep mangosteen is to squish it with your palms so that the petals pop up after breaking through the skin, you can also cut it using a knife to avoid the mess.
To cut it, use a sharp, preferably small knife and mark a horizontal cut in the middle of your fruit.
Now, slit it about ¼ inch deep and then pick it up and twist with your hands. This will remove the fruit’s purple shell and you’ll see a nice, fragrant white flesh.
You can take the juicy pods out and eat them directly. They also contain seeds inside them, which you may want to spit out as they’re bitter.
At the fruit corners, this exotic fruit is generally served in half of its shell so that people can pick it using a fork without creating a mess.
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How to use mangosteens
The best way to enjoy mangosteens is to eat them fresh and on their own. Just grab your fork and devour as soon as you open them.
However, there are several other ways to use mangosteens. You can add them to your fruit salads, vegetables, stir-fries, smoothies, and whatnot.
Because of their amazing tangy taste, they go really well with cocktails and juices as well.
Moreover, you can also add them to your curries to get a nice and fresh flavor or make a delicious sorbet. It’s all up to your creativity,
