Preserving Fruits: Mangoes (SP 50-1006)

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The mango tree is a native to the Indian subcontinent and has been cultivated for about 4,000 years. It is a tropical or subtropical evergreen tree and there are over 1,000 varieties believed to exist today. The mango was first introduced to the U.S. in the 1800s and has become increasingly popular in the U.S. in the last decade.

Selecting mangoes

Most mangoes sold in the U.S. are imported from Mexico, Brazil and Central America although there are some grown in California and Florida. Mangoes are usually picked and shipped for the commercial market while still green. Most mature from May to September with the largest harvest in June and July.

Unripe mangoes are usually green but could have a reddish tinge near the stem. When selecting unripe mangoes for a recipe, choose fruit that is green and uniformly hard with no skin blemishes. The fruit is best stored for ripening at temperatures between 70–75°F and it should ripen within 3–8 days. Ripe mangoes should be firm to the touch but yield slightly to pressure. The skin should be tight and could have areas of green, yellow and red/orange but should not be wrinkly.

Caution

The mango tree is a member of the Anacardiaceae family, which also includes poison oak and poison ivy. Handling green mangoes may irritate the skin of some people in the same way as poison ivy and oak. Be careful not to touch your face, lips or eyes after touching or cutting raw green mangoes.

Green mangoes can be canned and made into sauce, chutney and salsa. Ripe mangoes can be frozen or dried.

Please note: As mangoes ripen, they become less acidic. We do not have safe guidelines for canning ripe mangoes or mango sauce. If mangoes are an ingredient in a tested recipe for chutney or salsa, that recipe has been acidified with the addition of lemon juice or vinegar for safety.

Canned Green Mangoes

It will take approximately 9–10 pounds of mangoes (about 7–9 medium) to yield 6 pints or 3 quarts.

Select green firm, non-fibrous fruit. Prepare a light to medium syrup and bring to a boil. Peel and slice mangoes. Cook mango slices 2 minutes in boiling syrup. Pack hot slices into hot jars leaving ½ inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Wipe rim and adjust lids. Process in a boiling water canner.

• 0–1000 feet — Pints 15 minutes and quarts 20 minutes.
• 1001–3000 feet — Pints 20 minutes and quarts 25 minutes.
• 3001–6000 feet — Pints 20 minutes and quarts 30 minutes.

Mango Sauce (Yield: About 6 ½ pint jars)

Ingredients

• 5½ cups or 3¼ pounds mango puree (use slightly underripe to just-ripe mango; from about 5 pounds, or 5 to 6 whole, large, non-fibrous mangoes, as purchased)
• 6 tablespoons honey
• 4 tablespoons bottled lemon juice
• ¾ cup sugar
• 2½ teaspoons (7,500 milligrams) ascorbic acid
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Procedure

1. Wash and rinse half-pint canning jars; keep hot until ready to use. Prepare lids according to manufacturer's directions.
2. Wash, peel and separate mango flesh from seed. Chop mango flesh into chunks and purée in blender or food processor until smooth.
3. Combine all ingredients in a 6- to 8-quart Dutch oven or stockpot and heat on medium-high heat, with continuous stirring, until the mixture reaches 200°F. The mixture will sputter as it is being heated, so be sure to wear gloves or oven mitts to avoid burning skin.
4. Fill hot sauce into clean, hot half-pint jars, leaving ¼-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace if needed. Wipe rims of jars with a dampened, clean paper towel; adjust two-piece metal canning lids.
5. Process half pint jars in a boiling water canner.
   0–1000 feet: 15 minutes; 1001–6000 feet: 20 minutes

Mango Chutney (Yield: About 6 pint jars)

Ingredients

• 11 cups or 4 pounds chopped unripe (hard) mango, either Tommy Atkins or Kent varieties (about 9 to 10 large whole mangoes or 6 pounds, as purchased)
• 2½ cups or ¾ pound finely chopped yellow onion (about 1 pound onions as purchased)
• 2½ tablespoons grated fresh ginger
• 1½ tablespoons finely chopped fresh garlic
• 4½ cups sugar
• 3 cups white distilled vinegar (5%)
• 2½ cups golden raisins
• 1½ teaspoon canning salt
• 4 teaspoons chili powder

Procedure

1. Wash and rinse pint or half-pint canning jars; keep hot until ready to use. Prepare lids according to manufacturer's directions.
2. Wash all produce well. Peel, core and chop mangoes into ¾-inch cubes. Chop mango cubes in food processor, using 6 one-second pulses per food processor batch. (Do not puree or chop too finely.) By hand, peel and dice onion, finely chop garlic and grate ginger
3. Mix sugar and vinegar in an 8- to 10-quart stockpot. Bring to a boil, and boil 5 minutes. Add all other ingredients and bring back to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Fill hot chutney into clean, hot pint or half-pint jars, leaving ½-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace if needed. Wipe rims of jars with a dampened, clean paper towel; adjust two-piece metal canning lids.
5. Process in a boiling water canner. Process pints or half pint jars in a boiling water canner.
   0–1000 feet: 10 minutes; 1001–6000 feet: 15 minutes

Mango Salsa

Ingredients

• 6 cups diced unripe mango (about 3 to 4 large, hard green mangoes)
• 1½ cups diced red bell pepper
• ½ cup finely chopped yellow onion
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped ginger
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1¼ cups cider vinegar (5%)
• ½ cup water

Procedure

1. Wash and rinse half-pint canning jars; keep hot until ready to use. Prepare lids according to manufacturer's directions.
2. Wash all produce well. Peel and chop mango into ½-inch cubes. Dice bell pepper into ½-inch pieces. Finely chop yellow onions.
3. Combine all ingredients in an 8-quart Dutch oven or stockpot. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Reduce to simmering, and simmer 5 minutes.
4. Fill hot solids into clean, hot half-pint jars, leaving ½-inch headspace. Cover with hot liquid, leaving ½-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace if needed. Wipe rims of jars with a dampened, clean paper towel; apply two-piece metal canning lids.
5. Process half pint jars in a boiling water canner.
   0–1000 feet: 10 minutes; 1001–6000 feet: 15 minutes

Freezing

Preparation — Select firm, ripe mangoes that yield to gentle pressure. Wash, peel and slice.

• Syrup pack — Pack slices in moisture/vapor-resistant containers. Cover with a 30% sugar syrup (1¾ cup sugar to 4 cups water). Can also be frozen in orange juice. Leave ½ to 1 inch head space. Place a piece of crumbled plastic wrap on top of fruit to hold it under the liquid. Seal and store at 0°F or below for best quality.
• Unsweetened tray pack — Arrange slices on a flat baking sheet and freeze. When frozen, remove and store in sealed containers.
• Purée — Press mango slices through a sieve, blender chop or chop in a food processor. Pack into containers with or without sugar. Leave ½ to 1 inch head space. Seal and freeze.

Drying

Select firm ripe mangoes. Wash and remove peel using a vegetable peeler. Slice mangoes into ¼-inch thick slices. Place slices on lightly oiled dehydrator trays. Dry 135°F for 10–12 hours or until pliable. Remove slices and store in an airtight container in a cool dark location.

Mango Leather (Yield: About 2 dryer trays (14” in diameter); 8 fruit rolls)

Ingredients

• 4 cups mango purée (from about 4 large, unripe mangoes)
• 1 cup clover honey
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves

Procedure

1. Preheat electric dehydrator to 140°F.
2. Wash and peel mangoes, chop roughly into chunks. Purée in blender until smooth. Pass purée through a food mill or sieve; discard any coarse fiber extracted in food mill. Add honey and spices to the purée and mix thoroughly.
3. Lightly spray two fruit roll tray liners from an electric dehydrator with vegetable oil cooking spray. Spread mango mixture evenly to ¼-inch thickness on the trays.
4. Position fruit roll liners on dryer trays and place in dehydrator. Dry continuously for about 10 hours. Maintain dehydrator air temperature steadily at 140°F. (Monitor the dehydrator air temperature periodically with a thermometer.) Remove trays from dehydrator when purée is dry, with no sticky areas (about 10 hours — this will be highly dependent on the relative humidity of the drying room). Test for dryness by touching gently in several places near center of leather; no indentation should be evident.
5. Peel leather from trays while still warm. Leave the second tray on the dehydrator while you peel the first leather, or rewarm leathers slightly in the dehydrator if they cool too much prior to peeling. Cut into quarters, lay on a piece of clean plastic food storage wrap about 1 to 2 inches longer at each end of the leather and roll together into fruit leather rolls. When cool, twist the ends of the plastic wrap tightly to close.
6. Store fruit rolls in freezer-quality zippered plastic bags or airtight plastic container for short-term storage, up to about 1 month. Leathers should be stored in a cool, dark, dry place. For longer storage up to 1 year, place tightly wrapped rolls in the freezer.

Reference material National Center for Home Food Preservation