How can I make use of an underripe mango

Question

I bought a mango this morning that seemed to be ripe; at least it was the ripest of the bunch. I'm somewhat acquainted with picking out red/green mangoes, but this was my first exposure to yellow mangoes, and I apparently chose poorly.

After slicing up the whole thing, I realized my mistake, and as it is, the fruit is so sour it is inedible.

If it were a lesser fruit (say, a nectarine), I might just toss it, but I'm trying to be resourceful, and mangoes are not inexpensive around here, so I'd like to make use of it. What uses are there for an underripe mango? I thought of simmering it with milk and a little sugar, but I can only guess as to how how things would turn out.

Answer

If you simmer milk with acid, the milk will curdle. I wouldn't go this way.

If you insist on a sweet application, you have to add sugar (or another sweetener) to the mango. A sweet taste will cover acidity perfectly. You can either cook it with sugar syrup, or macerate it. After that, pureeing is probably best, because you want to avoid hard sour pieces in sweet sauce. From then on, your fantasy is the limit. Jam (maybe in combination with another fruit - how about that nectarine and some Grand Marnier?), sorbet, candy, yogurt-based smoothie, jello in molds or as a cake layer, mixing with cheese to create a spread or a mango cheesecake - everything is possible. The taste, however, will be less than optimal, because unripe fruit is not only sour, it doesn't have yet its full aroma. Still, it will work - not as well as a ripe mango, but it will be OK.

Sweet isn't the only option. The classic use for an unripe mango is to put its sourness to good use and prepare a mango chutney. Again, you can stay traditional and make it pure, or experiment with additional fruit and spice combinations. Then use the chutney as a dip or sauce in savory dishes.

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