I Buy A Mango About Once Every Two Years

maybe it's time for papaya

[lawman]

They never taste as good as I think they should. Maybe I just don't know how to pick 'em. Perhaps I should quit buying them altogether. Over the rest of my life, that should save me about fifteen bucks or so in today's dollars.

I've never tried papaya. I'd hate to buy a large fruit that I wouldn't like. Any recommendations on how to pick a good one?

[bobothecat]

Papayas are ready to harvest when most of the skin is yellow-green. After several days of ripening at room temperature, they will be almost fully yellow and slightly soft to the touch.

[crfg.org...]

[Automan Empire]

I love Mangoes! To choose good ones, smell the stem end. Easy as that.

I am a newbie with Papayas. I can't say I've ever had a bad or great one, though. Those things are FULL of seeds... if you don't like it, the neighborhood birds will.

-Automan

[greenleaves]

if you do buy a papaya, slide a knife vertically on the skin of the papaya. Let it sit with the wounds for a few days. This will help it be sweeter. I don't know the scientific explanation to this, but I am certain it works.

[bcolflesh]

To choose good ones, smell the stem end.

What should it smell like?

[vincevincevince]

What should it smell like?

Nice and fruity!

[bedlam]

Maybe I just don't know how to pick 'em.

I don't know what varieties [google.com] they sell in your area, but I find the "Ataulfo" sort to be much superior to the others--very nice, non-stringy texture with a slightly more peach-like flavour than the other kinds.

-b

[larryhatch]

I buy a package of hot dogs every year or two, usually on sale.
One US dollar for a pound? Looks like a deal.
Then I fry up a couple and then I remember. I don't like hot dogs.
2 years later maybe, all that is forgotten and hot dogs go on sale again. -Larry

[Tapolyai]

I really like mangos! Haden mangos are the ones we get here... I usually buy the ones that slightly give to pressure, but I eat them that day. Makes a big mess, and lots of floss needed.

As for hot dogs... cook them in beer. ;) It gives a nice flavor.

[Stefan]

Lawman, I love mangos. I wish I could have you with me in Ja some day, you'd love it. There are a lot of different varieties, but the main thing for all of them is that they have to be picked when they're fairly ripe. The ones shipped to North America are picked green, and even if you put them in a paper bag and leave them for a few days at room temperature, they're not the same. Straight from the tree is the way to go. During the season, starting now and going for the next few months, you can sit yourself down some places and have 5-6 different types, one after the other. Some are really fibrous, and some much less so. Some big, some small. All of them are great.

[Green_Grass]

I guess, you guys in the U.S. have not tasted Indian mangoes yet.. President Bush signed a landmark deal in India during this visit ( not the nuclear deal, the MANGO deal) which will now allow Indian mangoes to be imported into U.S.

These are already selected pieces, so all you gotta do is eat..

I think there are more than 2 dozen popular varieties but I guess, you guys will get to taste maybe .....2 or 3 ...If you are lucky..

[Marcia]

Never tried fresh papaya, but mangoes have to be ripe to taste good, and the easiest way is to let them ripen wrapped inside a paper bag. I put one each into individual lunch size bags, let them ripen and refrigerate them right in the bags when they're ready.

[debunked]

Mangos where great in the Dominican Republic, and I always have loved pinapple, but now I am ruined for pinapple, it is hard to find good pinapple in Oregon.

[graywolf]

Notices lawman has a "thing" for fruit

[webmasterworld.com...]

[grandpa]

a "thing" for fruit

Nice catch. Thing is, we don't even know if he is getting educated here. The collective fruit knowldege could be going in one melon and out the other. Hopefully, it's all going into a fruit bookmark.

We had some mangos (or were they papaya's?) here last week. Not yet ripe, very bitter. Now they're gone. Dang, missed again.

[lawman]

Get ready for the next thread on persimmons. :)

[grandpa]

I miss eating kumquat's right off the tree, or candied, even better. Now I'll be awake all night.

[Raymond]

To me, mango is fruit from heaven :)

[Syzygy]

One of life's little pleasures is sucking and all that ripe flesh and juice from the mango stone. Messy and oh-so delicious.

Syzygy

[balam]

Mangoes, the world's most popular fruit - give me a "Julie" any day. It is said that, "Wherever man goes, mangoes."

Growing is fun; I have a half-dozen sitting on the bedroom windowsill.

[maccas]

Use to be my favourite fruit until I came across passion fruit, damn expensive where I am from and not much in them but boy they are tasty.

[httpwebwitch]

I was surprised to learn that bananas are the world's most popular fruit. I assumed it was apples, oranges, grapes... but nope, it's bananas. I like a banana chopped with Corn Flakes, or a hot loaf of banana bread, but otherwise I'm not keen eating the raw fruit. We buy them occasionally with good intentions, and they turn black before I peel the first. Off they go into the freezer to make more banana muffins. yum!

I love mangoes. I have a killer recipe for a slightly-spicy mango mint chutney with cilantro, cumin, tamarind... you can whip up a year's worth in a blender in 5 minutes, can & seal it in little crown jars -- goes great with samosas

I'm hungry!

[Visit Thailand]

One of life's little pleasures is sucking and all that ripe flesh and juice from the mango stone. Messy and oh-so delicious.

Couldn't agree more. I like my mangoes slightly chilled.

[Liane]

Lawman, you haven't lived until you've had a bacon and mango pizza! Forget ham & pinapple ... the Caribbean way is bacon & mango. Mmmmmm. Dang it, now I want a pizza!

I just chopped down a mango tree for the fourth time in a year. The darn things are like weeds here and very hard to kill. To get a nice fresh mango, papaya or banana you only have to walk down my road ... they are everywhere! I wish we had pomegranates here. I love those things!

[graeme_p]

I decided to stop wasting time on Foo discussions, slashdot etc. but mangos are different.

Like any fruit freshness and variety matter. Mangos in South Asia are look and taste delicious. The mangos available in Britain look shrivelled and taste horrible. Mangos in East Africa look like they will be good but are tasteless.

httpwebwitch, bananas are popular because they are cheap. As they can be shipped green to arrive ripe so handling is cheap as well.

Now what about my favourite fruits? Someone already mentioned passion fruit, but what about jak fruit, mangosteen and durian? Although mentioning the last might be considered flamebait...

[tomda]

Mangos in East Africa look like they will be good but are tasteless.

Yep! But they are many type of mangoes... Go for the sweetest and smallest one, the baby or apple mangoes.

In fact, in Kenya, always go for baby-fruit/vegetable, like baby bananas, baby mangoes, baby-courgettes, etc...

Other delicious fruits that you can eat in Kenya are:
1/ The small pineapples from Thika town where sit the Del Monte factory
2/ The yellow and black passion fruits
3/ The pawpaw, that have lot of vitamin A BTW (I hate the smell)
4/ And one of my favourite fruits, the custard apple.

[Liane]

tomda,

We call what you refer to as a "custard apple" ... a "sugar apple" and you are right, they are delicious! :)

[percentages]

>I Buy A Mango About Once Every Two Years
>maybe it's time for papaya

Mango is a little too scented for my pallet, it always tastes like melon covered in cologne :( But, maybe, I just can't pick them either :(

Bacon and Mango Pizza? Well I would certainly like to try that out! Maybe the Mango is less scented after cooking in a pizza oven?

While on the topic of "fruits" does anyone know if "Seedless Water Melon" really exists. Every time I buy it, the larger black "pips" are simply smaller, fewer, beige pips in the seedless variety? No seeds at all would be good?

[Liane]

Bacon and Mango Pizza? Well I would certainly like to try that out! Maybe the Mango is less scented after cooking in a pizza oven?

Bacon and mango puts ham and pinapple to shame. Once cooked, the mango is is still very sweet, but not nearly as pungent. Try it, you'll like it ... Its a brilliant pizza combo!

[mattglet]

Liane-

Just to remove any doubts... You just prepare the pizza as normal? How big should the mango pieces be? Any other tips?

I am a HUGE ham & pineapple (Hawaiian) fan. I also make my fair share of mango smoothies. Bacon & mango pizza is now on my list.

Re: mango smoothies... slice up a nice a couple of full size mangos, throw in a can of pinapple chunks, enough plain yogurt to satisfy your thickness liking, and a little orange juice. I also use some wheat germ for texture. Put it in the blender for a little bit and you've got a winner.