How to Peel a Mango

A mango is a delicious fruit that goes well with almost all other foods. You can use it in a fruit salad or in the sauce you make for chicken or steak. Since it is low in calories, it is one of the best fruits to include in your diet when you want to lose those extra pounds. Mangoes get a bad rap, though, because they are so hard and messy to peel.

When you choose mangoes at the supermarket, you do have to make sure they are fresh. When you feel the fruit, it should yield a small amount when you apply pressure with your thumb and it should have a fragrant aroma. If the mango is a little unripe, you can just let it sit on your countertop for a day or so in a sealed bag and it will ripen quite nicely. A mango will not ripen in the refrigerator because the temperature is too low. Once it is ripe, though, you should store it in the refrigerator and you should eat it within a few days.

There are two ways in which you can very easily peel a mango. The first method involves using a bread knife because of the serrated edge. Hold the mango firmly because it does tend to get slippery when the juice comes out once you make the first cut. With the knife, slice off a section of the side of the mango so that you only have a small section of the middle remaining. Next use a paring knife to make score marks in each of the two sections so that you form small cubes in the fruit. Press on the peel so that the fruit seems to stand out somewhat. Then you can cut around the edges with the paring knife so that you have small pieces of mango ready to eat. You can then easily cut off any remaining skin.

Another method of peeling a mango involves using a holder for corn on the cob and a vegetable peeler. Slice off the top and bottom of the fruit. Secure one end of the mango with the corn holder and use the vegetable peeler to slice off the peel all around the fruit. The handle on the holder makes it easy to hold the fruit in place and the other flat edge makes it easy to keep it on the counter or cutting board.

Once you have the mango peeled, you can use a paring knife to slice off small sections of the fruit leaving only the pit behind.