Mango 101 with the Haitian Francique Mango

Haitian Francique Mangoes are back in stock!

Many people crave the tart, bright flavors of mangoes in desserts and beverages, and at Seward Co-op, we think one of the best ways to enjoy them is when they are fresh! Fortunately, we just received the beloved Haitian Francique mangoes at both of our stores! This variety of mango is grown on small-scale farms and is only harvested for a short period of time. These mangoes provide an important source of income for Haitian farmers who grow them using organic practices, although they are not organic-certified.

In their raw form, mangoes can be a little perplexing to prepare. How can you tell when they’re ripe? How to cut around that big seed in the middle? How to peel the skin without bruising the fruit? Read on, we’ve got you.

Picking and Ripening Mangoes

Unripe mangoes are firm and greener than ripe mangoes. Look for ripe mangoes that are soft but not mushy, and light yellow in color. One way to tell if a mango is ripe is to give it a sniff near the stem. Ripe mangoes have a strong, sweet smell, just like the golden inside of the fruit. If you want to speed ripening, place mangoes in a brown paper bag. As mangoes ripen, they emit a gas called ethylene, and trapping them in the bag with the gas helps them to soften more quickly.

Cutting Mangoes

We’ve found one of the best ways to take the flesh off the large inner seed of the mango is using a thin-walled cup and a knife.

First, position the mango in front of you with the stem at the top. Hold your knife, and just off-center of the stem, slice down until your knife runs into the seed. Trace your knife along the side of the seed and repeat on the other side. With these two large sections removed, the seed will be visible. Next remove the remaining flesh of the fruit. You’ll likely end up with smaller and smaller mango pieces, some with skin, and others without.

Once you’ve removed as much flesh as possible from the seed, discard to the compost and return to your delicious mango pieces. Grab your cup and press the top rim of it just between where the fruit flesh meets the skin. With gentle pressure, using the palm of your hand, slide the glass between the skin and the fruit, separating them. Repeat with remaining mango pieces with skin and…Voila! You have nice chunks of fresh mango to use for snacking or cooking.

Charred Jalapeño and Francique Mango Salsa

This salsa is a delicious mix of tropical sweet and gentle heat, with some nice smokiness from the charred jalapeño. This salsa tastes great with fish tacos or served for scooping with chips.

Ingredients

1 Francique mango, diced
1 jalapeño pepper, blistered and minced
¼ cup onion, minced
¾ cup tomato, diced
2 Tbsp. cilantro, roughly chopped
1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
Salt to taste

Instructions

Place the whole jalapeño in a dry pan on high heat. Flip intermittently while preparing the mango – be sure to have a window open or fan on. The goal is to char or blister the pepper skin on all sides. This process will create some smoke, but it’s worth it for the flavor!

Remove mango flesh from the seed and skin, and dice. Set in a bowl and prepare the rest of the vegetables. Add onion, tomato, and cilantro to the bowl. Once jalapeño is blistered, remove from heat. Mince when it’s cool enough to handle, then add to the bowl. If you desire limited spice, discard the pepper seeds and the white membrane that holds them. For some heat in this salsa, add them.

Finally, drizzle lime juice over the mixture, and stir. Add salt to taste.