Mango Madness Time
…or at least that’s what I call this time of year in Florida. I have two large mango tress on my property that are abundant. We’re talking over 100 lbs of fruit a year. They produce two distinct types of mangos, however, I have no idea types they are (my guess is Kent and Tommy Atkins). Does it actually matter? No. Why? Because they’re both absolutely delicious and can be combined in recipes seamlessly.
As I do every year, I have a dilemma: what to do with the massive amounts of mangos I’ve cultivated? I asked to my nail tech (she loves this fruit too), hairdresser, friends, colleagues and the wonderful web for suggestions. Here are my top picks of what to do when it’s Mango Madness time:
Coconut Mango Rice
This one is by far my favorite use of the mangos. As a result of pairing the magos and coconut milk, this dish is beyond compare! I love to make this one and serve with sauteed chicken (seasoned with a little paprika, nutmeg and cinnamon). The result: super duper YUM-ville! My personal tweaks to the recipe:
- use 2 mangos instead of 1
- skip the raisins
- use regular onions instead of red
- 3 tablespoons butter
- skip the cinnamon and green onion
- swap the orange juice with orange soda
- 3/4 cup coconut milk (instead of 1/2)
- 1 + 1/2 cup water (instead of 1 + 3/4 cup)
Pineapple Mango Sorbet
For this one, I know the recipe says you can do it without an ice cream maker…..but mine froze solid in the jars ultimately. Solve: take the jar out about 15-30 minutes before eating and you’ve got more of a mango Italian ice! My changes:
- skip the lime zest
- only 1 cup sugar
- double-up on the mangos
- 2 cups water
Mango-pops
First, fill a blender with about 1 cup of water. Then, fill the rest of the way with fresh sliced mangos (approx. 5-7). Blend. Pour into clean ice trays. Cover with foil. Insert toothpicks. Chill til frozen solid. Finally (my favorite part): Pop them out of the tray and enjoy!
Mango Smoothies or Milkshakes
I like smoothies and there are a million ways to make them. You can add sliced bananas or strawberries too. Above all, don’t forget to add some liquid (water, plain or vanilla yogurt, or milk) to help smooth it out to a drink. Pureed mangos are a tad thick to drink straight. 😉
Mango Jam
Sorry folks, can’t share the recipe for this one (it’s a family recipe). But suffice it to say, you need a lot of mangos (or a few if you’re only making a small amount of jam), a lot of canning jars, lots of water and boil it down for almost a full day (half a day if you’re making smaller amounts). Quick tip: skip the pectin or whatever additive and the sugar. If you cook it long enough, you won’t need the pectin and you’ll know it’s ready when you can dab some on a plate, leave it in the fridge for a minute and it won’t drip down the plate. Cook it too long and you’re making candy…..which is a good use of the mangos too!
Plan ahead for Mango Madness Time
I will definitely plan ahead for next season. I could have saved more of these delectable delights had I pre-planned what to do before they ripened. But now that I know, I can start cooking up a storm as they come off the tree.
Next year, when it’s time for Mango Madness, I’ll be poised and ready to use every one of these tasty fruits! Perhaps I’ll make mango-infused chocolate truffles, mango salsa or mango cheesecake!