When is a mango ripe enough to eat? We tell you how to check!

Feel like a fresh mango – now!? If you really have a craving for fruit, you don’t have the time to wait another few days for this aromatic fruit to ripen. Mangos are sometimes harvested in their native regions while they are still unripe. They then ripen while they are being transported or in the shop. But how do you know if a mango is ripe enough to eat? Use these quick tips to find out!

Tip 1: Sniff me!

As soon as a mango is ripe, it exudes an irresistibly sweet aroma. The intense scent is a typical sign of perfect ripeness. An unripe mango, on the other hand, smells fairly neutral, while an overripe fruit will emit a sour and fermented smell.

Tip 2: Squeeze me!

If the mango is ripe enough to eat, it is soft. If you press on it gently with your fingers or the ball of your hand, the skin of the mango yields slightly and a dent appears. Hard fruit must be left for a while before eating.

Tip 3: Look closely!

A visual check will also tell you whether a mango is ripe. The flesh of the mango around the stalk should appear firm and the stalk should protrude outwards. This is a sign of fully developed, juicy flesh. By the way, while ripe mangos generally have a more intense colour, colour alone is not an indication of whether a mango is ripe enough to eat. This varies according to type, from green to a rich reddish orange.

Tip: If you want to help your mangos ripen faster, wrap them in newspaper or store them beside apples or pears, which produce ethylene, the “ripening gas”.

Have fun checking for ripe mangos!

Your Dole Team