If California strawberries that stay in California are as good as residents claim, mangoes in Hawaii definitely rival that legend.
The sweet and perfectly tender varieties grown on our island seem to dwarf those that are shipped in, still green and well packaged. Ours might have some bruises, a few worms here and there, but they almost melt in your mouth. They are the kind of perfection in flavor and texture that a good cook can only hope to match.
Mangoes usually have a feast-or-famine season. When a tree begins to bear fruit, you can gorge yourself on mangoes just to keep up with the crop, and still, every globe is as precious as gold.
After my last column on stolen lilikoi, a sweet reader offered a huge box of the fruit, which I gladly picked up. She shared with me that fruit thieves know her mango tree well. Anticipating the summer harvest is painful when you know that a good crop means you might have none after a midnight heist.
I’ve heard similar complaints from those who have mango trees visible from the road. My blood boils just thinking about thieves who would loot a tree. I’m surprised that security alarm companies haven’t come up with a solution.
But I digress. These precious seasonal fruit can make for a perfect summertime treat, especially when iced.
Frozen mango chunks have a chew similar to a creamy sherbet, and they taste as good as any fancy sorbet.
Both mango and watermelon are almost entirely water, making them ideal for frozen treats. I finished these off in the middle of the night recently, when I woke up, too hot to sleep, after checking my yard for intruders.
WATERMELON AND MANGO POPS
2 cups watermelon, cubed
1 slice lime
2 cups diced mango, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
Ice pop molds
Juice or blend watermelon with lime.
Divide mango cubes among the molds, then cover with watermelon juice. Freeze several hours. Makes 6 to 8 pops, depending on size of molds.
Approximate nutritional information, 8 pops: 35 calories, 9 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 8 g sugar, 1 g protein, no fat, cholesterol or sodium
Mariko Jackson blogs about family and food at www.thelittlefoodie.com.
