Mango

Color is a poor guide (varieties ripen red, green, or gold) — judge by feel and smell. A ripe mango gives gently to a soft squeeze (like a ripe peach or avocado) and smells sweet and fruity at the stem end. A sour or alcoholic smell means overripe. Avoid very hard, shriveled, or heavily bruised fruit. Slightly firm mangoes will ripen at home.

Ripen firm mangoes at room temperature (faster in a paper bag with a banana or apple), out of the fridge — cold halts ripening and can leave underripe fruit bland. Once it's soft and fragrant, refrigerate to hold it a few more days. Cut mango keeps in a sealed container in the fridge for a couple of days, or freezes well for smoothies.

There's a large flat pit running the length of the fruit. Stand the mango on end and slice down either side of the pit to get two 'cheeks.' Score each cheek in a crosshatch grid (without cutting through the skin), then push the skin inward so the cubes pop out like a hedgehog — scoop or slice them off. Trim the remaining flesh from around the pit (the cook's snack).