How Long Do Mangoes Last? Can They Go Bad?

Mangoes are delicious. We can all agree on that. Now that the tropical fruit’s praises have been sung, we have serious issues to tackle. Namely, how long do mangoes last, and do they go bad? Mangoes are great because you can just cut them up and eat them, blend them into a juice, have them for dessert, and even use them as a dipping sauce.

Even though the mango is such a versatile fruit and probably guacamole’s biggest competition, it doesn’t last too long. The fruit tends to spoil rapidly once it becomes ripe.

Like a space launch, you’ll have a small window to get that mango before it is gone.

If you have no experience with mangoes, buckle up as we delve deep into the details of how you can stay on top of the fruit and get it just at the right time.

In the following segments, we cover how long you can keep the mango, where you can keep it, and when to know it has gone bad.

The best time to eat a mango is when it is ripe. After that, it goes straight to rotten. So, let’s find out how you can tell if a mango is ripe.

How Can You Tell That a Mango Is Ripe?

 

 

Pick up that lovely fruit…go on!

What is the skin’s colour? If you press gently with your fingers, does it feel hard or soft?

Alright, here are the things to look out for to know if a mango is ripe or not.

• Feel it – Feel is the first focus when determining a mango’s ripeness because, depending on types and species, some mangos can be ripe without necessarily appearing so on the outside. We are looking for a soft mango here, so; when you feel it, it should be soft but not mushy. Once it turns to mush, then it is probably gone.
• Look at colour – The fruit’s skin has to be mostly yellow to red. There should not be dark green skin on it. However, some greenish highlights that are mostly on yellow mean it tastes even better in some cases.
• Smell the mango – Sometimes, the fruit will have a…well…fruity smell, which indicates that it is ready to eat. But this is not a requirement because you’ll mostly catch a whiff once you cut the mango open. 

Pro Tip: When you are trying to determine if the mango is ripe or not, consider how it feels in your hand. Do not cut if you are not sure that it is ripe. Sometimes, the colour may not be all yellow or reddish, but the insides are soft. That would be a good indication that it is ready, even if it looks green.

Now that you know how to tell when the mango is ready for consumption, let’s talk about how long mangoes last before they go completely bad and should be thrown out.

How Long Do Mangoes Last?

 

 

Let’s talk about shelf life, shall we?

An unripe mango can take anywhere from a single day to seven days before it becomes ripe and ready to eat. Yes, we are saying you should check it daily to see how soft it is or how ripe it looks.

Depending on the conditions of where in the house you keep fruit and the type you bought, the time to ripeness varies greatly, which is why it could be ripe tomorrow or a whole six days from today.

Ripe mangoes can be put in the fridge and stop their ripening process for about five days before they become unsuitable for consumption. Keeping mangoes in the fridge that long is not a good idea. We’ll get into that in a short while.

If you make some mango cubes or slices, they should last two days in the fridge.

The whole fruit lasts longer when it is left intact than when you peel it.

If these short periods are not enough for you, you can keep your mangoes in a freezer for up to six months. Freezers in supermarkets have frozen mangoes as well. There is no reason why you should not be able to do this.

To reiterate, this is the summary of how long you can keep mangoes viable for your feeding needs:

• Cut mango can stay in the fridge for 3-4 days.
• Ripe mangoes can be kept at room temperature for 2-3 days before it goes bad.
• Unripe mangoes can take anywhere between 1 and 7 days to become ripe.

You should know that these days indicated here are estimates. We leave the rest to good old human intuition. When it is ripe, you’ll know.

Where Do You Store Mangoes?

 

 

In the previous section, we have mentioned where you can keep mangoes but let’s get into more detail, so we don’t miss anything.

Let’s start with unripe mangoes. When storing them, you want them to become ripe properly. The ideal way to go involves keeping them in a paper bag at room temperature. The fruit can also be put in a basket on the counter. The only thing you have to protect it from is direct sunlight.

Pro Tip: if you want the mango to ripen faster, you should keep it in the paper bag at room temperature. The paper bag traps the small amounts of ethylene that mangoes produce and speeds up the process in this manner. If you want to kick things up a notch, get a tomato or avocado in there to make more ethylene. If you know of any other fruits that make the same gas, put them in there.

You should check for the mango’s ripeness level every day or every two days to make sure that you can track the progress and get it when it is perfectly ripe.

If you have some ripe mangoes, the fridge is the place to put them. Mangoes continue to ripen at room temperature. So, if you are not having that mango when it is ripe at room temperature, you can get an extra day or two before you devour it. You can set it in the fridge without packing it in anything.

If you slice the mango into pieces, keep them in an airtight container inside the fridge.

How to Tell When the Mango Has Gone Bad

 

 

Knowing when the mango is spoiled is easy. All the signs are easy to observe. Here are some of the most common ones, in case you have never had the good fortune to know what to do with a mango.

• It gets mushy. A ripe mango is a bit soft, but not so much that it feels like everything inside is much. If your mango has ripened to this extent, it is best to discard it. If you feel large sunken spots across its surface, that mango is a goner.
• Oozing liquid – throw it out.
• Mould – if you eat this and get sick, it’s on you.
• Large black patches on the skin – if the fruit turns black, it is an obvious sign that the mango is overripe and will taste quite sickening if you try to eat it. However, you should know that dark dots do not mean the mango is a goner. Sometimes, mangoes tend to have those and be fine inside. 

You know what? If you doubt the health of ripe mango, just cut it open and see what’s inside. If you feel there is something wrong with the fruit, don’t eat it. Listen to the neanderthal in you that learned how to pick out the good fruit from the bad thousands of years ago.

How Do You Cut Mangoes?

 

 

Well, first of all, you have to know about the seed. The mango is not pawpaw. It had a large seed sitting in the centre. So, you need to find this pit and cut around it. You can cut close to it if you want, even going so far as to shave it. Did we mention it is hairy?

The pit is whitish and is found inside the fruit. It is like an avocado pit but does not split into two pieces if you drop it. It is very much a single piece. In fact, the only way this pit is like an avocado pit is that it sits in the centre of the fruit, just like in an avocado.

Wait, why are we talking about avocados?

Okay, here’s how you cut:

Peel the mango and then slice it. The slicing should be length-wise until you reach the pit. Do the same thing on all sides.

Here’s the thing, when you see that mango, you’ll know what to do.

Related Questions?

Is It Alright If I Eat Mangoes with Black Spots?

 

Sure, if they are just dots, go ahead and try it. If they are black patches and large dark areas, throw it out. The black patches mean it is starting to rot.

How Long Will Mangoes Stay When They Are Prepared into A Dish?

 

How long do mangoes last? Even more important, which of the ingredients in your recipe go bad fastest? There’s your answer.