Summary: Description The mango is regarded as the queen of fruits in tropical areas of the world and is one of the most important fruit crops in tropical and subtropical areas. There are many varieties of mangos (over 1,000!). The mango is a medium sized fruit measuring 5-13 cm in width and 5-25 cm in length. The surface of the mango skin is smooth and thick, but non-edible. As the fruit ripens it turns to yellow-green or yellow-orange, often with splashes of crimson or blushed with dark red. Healthy Stuff Mangoes are high in vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium, niacin and fibre. Mangoes help protect against cancer, arteriosclerosis and they help maintain bowel regularity. Buying and Storing Try to choose large, firm, unblemished yellow/red mangoes and store them in your fruit bowl for 3-4 days until they ripen. You can get Fairtrade mangoes from Asda, Booths, Co-op, Marks and Spencer, Sainsbury's, Waitrose and Tesco stores, when they're in season. Preparation Jake says: Peel the mango with a sharp knife then cut off slices of the mango flesh and put them straight in the smoothie maker. Make sure you avoid the pit, and be careful whilst slicing because mangoes can be slippery. Ian says: Without peeling the mango slice away the four 'cheeks' from the pit. Score the mango flesh into squares and gently push the cubes apart, then slice them from the skin to get lots of small mango cubes. You can put these straight into the smoothie maker or put them in the freezer and use them later. Links You can find out more information on fairtrade mangoes here.
