Fruits are everybody’s favourite since they are good source of nutrients and fiber. We are in mid-summers now and as the heatwave has increased so has the demand of certain seasonal fruits such as Mangoes. With season at its peak the demand for Mangoes has increased drastically. For past few years, to meet the demand, foul vendors have been slipping in chemically treated mangoes in the market. These mangoes are more harm than good. At times it is difficult to differentiate naturally grown fruits from their chemically treated counterparts. Hence, it is now a major problem for us to identify and buy the naturally grown mangoes. To help our readers we did some research to help them answer the most important question at hand – how to choose mangoes?
This article mentions few methods which you can apply to choose good naturally grown mangoes. The methods are very generic and can be applied for other fruits as well. Though the methods seem to work in most cases it is not a rigorous guide and the important point is that you must believe in your senses and some common sense. So let us begin and try finding the answer to this important question – How to choose mangoes?
Key things to remember before you buy mangoes
Since, mangoes are one of the most lovable fruits and due to their seasonal availability the demand for this fruit is quite high in summers. India is one of the largest producers of mangoes and there are large varieties of mangoes available in the market. Despite the huge amount of mangoes produced, the market falls short of the demand from consumers. Taking benefit from this high demand, large number of foul vendors tend to produce mangoes artificially using various chemicals such as Carbide.
Recently you may have heard about use of Carbide to ripen fruits artificially and believe us it is a thing in the market and is quite unhealthy. These foul vendors trade your health for some easy money by using these artificial methods. Everyday it is becoming very difficult to find out which fruit has been artificially ripened and which are organically grown. In this article we touch on few tips which may help you identify good mangoes from bad ones before you buy it at the shop.
Smell the mangoes
This is one of the key defining factors when you make the purchase. Randomly select few mangoes and check if they have that fruity mango smell especially near the stem area. The aroma may be mild or intense based on the type of mango you are buying but the key factor is to identify that aroma and go for it. If there is no smell then there is a high chance that mangoes have been ripened artificially.
Check for uniform colour
Naturally ripen mangoes have uniform coloration, meaning as you look at them from different angles the colour transitions gradually. The colour should transition from yellow to green and vice-versa naturally and not abruptly. If you find mangoes with abrupt patches of green and yellow then there is a high chance it is chemically treated. Also if you find an amazingly bright yellow coloured mango that does not confirm to other listed factors then chances are it may be chemically treated. A simple rule to remember will be, if it’s took good to be true, then it probably is.
Touch and feel the mangoes
Before you buy, randomly select few mangoes and try to squeeze them slightly with your fingers. Naturally ripened mangoes are mildly soft. However, if they are squashy then they are over-ripened. If a mango is very hard in some places while soft at few then it could be artificially ripened. Naturally grown mangoes ripe evenly hence this uneven behavior is not present in them.
Look and feel
People often think that if a fruit looks good from outside then it will be good. Don’t fall for this bias and be more logical. Naturally ripened mangoes bear some marks of being grown naturally in farms. They may bear some marks or black spots on their skin and that is absolutely fine unless there are too many of them, which means they are over-ripened. With use of carbide and similar artificial process vendors tend to make mangoes look beautifully yellow and in-fact in most cases better than the natural mangoes. Look out for these cues and if a mango looks too good to be true then there is a high probability it is artificially prepared.
Go to known and reliable vendors
Even after following all the above instructions you may still have some doubts. At times, you are still confused on whether to buy or not from a particular place. Now this is absolutely fine since chemically treated and naturally grown mangoes are not that different from appearance. Therefore, we recommend you to go to your trusted vendor and buy mangoes from them. Usually, good vendors keep their customers loyal by serving them what is best in the market. Instead of making some quick and easy cash they are focused on customer loyalty by delivering quality. If you prefer online shopping we recommend to opt for a reliable online e-stores and buy from them. If you are old school then it is better to go to your reliable trusted neighborhood shop and buy from them.
Lastly, we recommend buying fruits in their respective seasons since it is more likely that you will get naturally ripened fruit during that time. However, once the season is gone it is worth to wait for next season to enjoy the fruit. So next time when you go to buy mangoes keep these recommendations in mind and stay healthy. If you like this article then keep spreading the good word by sharing it with your friends and family.
Discover more Mango Recipes
Now that you have purchased mangoes why not check our catalog for some tasty mango recipes? Check out our Mango Shake recipe and Mango Lassi recipe and beat the heat this summer.
