I’ve been eating pickled mango almost since I could chew, but I’d never made it myself. The idea of peeling all that fruit defeated me before I could even start.
One of my friends who used to help her mother make this treat said her mom was so picky about how the fruit was peeled that she and her sisters came to hate their mango tree. My own mother pickled mango, as well, whenever we had a bounty of green mango, but somehow I got out of the manual labor (sorry, Mom).
But last month on a trip to my husband’s home territory of Guam, my sister-in-law presented us with a giant bowl of Guam-style pickled mango — sweet-sour and slightly spicy. Very addictive.
And unpeeled. Every thin slice had a strip of green skin that after pickling was soft enough to chew, although some people just nibbled the meat off.
The local-style mango I grew up on was always deep pink and tangy, and sometimes had whole li hing mui added. Most recipes include quite a bit of salt; some have soy sauce. The mango is so green and young that people often cut through the seed and pickle that, as well.
My sister-in-law, Nora Garces, makes hers with a similar vinegar and sugar mix but no salt or red food coloring. And the chili pepper is essential. She gave me basic proportions, and I made my own very addictive batch.
She uses a local variety of the fruit, which is much like what we call a common mango, but tiny. I had no source for that type, so I used the greenest Haydens I could find at the supermarket.
Guam-Style Pickled Mango
» 4 pounds very green mango (about 4 large fruit)
» 1-1/2 cups sugar
» 1 cup cider vinegar
» 1 cup water
» 1 Hawaiian chili pepper, seeded and minced
Wash mango well. Do not peel. Cut meat away from seed, then slice into thin pieces about 2 inches long (about 8 cups, depending on the size of the seed in your fruit). Place in nonreactive bowl.
Combine sugar, vinegar and water in small saucepan over medium heat. Stir just until sugar is dissolved; add chili pepper. Pour over mango slices and stir. Let sit overnight at room temperature, then taste and adjust seasonings. (It’s unlikely more vinegar will be needed, but if you want it sweeter, dissolve 1/4 cup sugar in 1/4 cup hot water before adding.)
Refrigerate pickles. They can be eaten immediately but are at their peak after 3-5 days.
Approximate nutritional information per 1-ounce serving: 30 calories, 8 g carbohydrate, 0.5 g fiber, 7 g sugar, no fat, cholesterol, sodium or protein
Nutritional analysis by Joannie Dobbs, Ph.D., C.N.S. Write “By Request,” Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, Honolulu, HI 96813; or email requests to bshimabukuro@staradvertiser.com.
