I am a homemaker for elderly people: housecleaning, shopping, etc. I have a client that likes mango's and I need to know how to tell when they are ripe? I have no idea, as I don't eat or use them. Thank in advance for help on this. I want to make sure I get her the ripest one I can for her.
I agree with all the postings only to add that they also smell ripe! Just as a melon or a pineapple smells ripe a mango smells too. I always pick up and smell my fruit at the store. Seems silly but I rarely get bad fruit. Good luck!
I live in Thailand where I have a farm and grow mango's. On the tree they are initially all green and hard [many people here like them like this as they make a salad of them with salt, vinegar and chilee's]. As the fruit ripens it turns to a golden/orange colour and is a little soft to the touch. I would imagine that most of the mango's you find in the States are imported. This means they would be shipped green and ripen during shipment. Not so good but OK. Buy ones which look good [ie Golden/orange/yellow] and not too soft [they will soften more with keeping to a point that they are too "ripe"].
Although I should support Thai mango's I actually think the best ones come from India [there are many different varieties].
It is the same as a pear, avocado, or peach. Gently press your fingertips into the fruit. If it is rock hard, it is not ready yet. If it is too soft, it is too ripe. Feel a lot of them with your fingertips. After a few you should notice the difference between too squishy and too hard. You want the ones that are inbetween the two. Just takes a little practice. If you are still unsure, get the one that is a little harder because it will ripen at home and your client can eat it when it is ready, rather than getting one that is too squishy. Hope this helps :)
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