How to know if a mango is bad? - The definitive guide

Mangoes are delicious tropical fruits that are delicious whether eaten on their own, in a juice, shake or smoothie, or added to your favorite dishes.

They have been around for quite some time and are available in over 500 different varieties in various parts of the world.

They are low in calories and packed with essential nutrients, especially vitamin C, which helps support immunity and fuel growth.

Like any other fruit, mangoes have a limited life and can go bad if not stored properly and eaten within a certain period.

If you’ve never eaten a mango, it can be hard to tell if it’s ripe, overripe, or gone bad. Luckily, there are easy ways to tell if a mango is bad and save yourself from an unpleasant experience.

So how do you know if a mango is bad?

A spoiled mango has a very mushy, mushy texture and an exaggeration of dark spots and bruising. In addition, it may begin to ooze, give off a sour or alcoholic odor, and have signs of mold. If any of these signs start to appear, it’s time to discard the mango.

Signs of an Overripe Mango

Some of the obvious ways to tell if a mango has gone bad are changes in its texture, appearance, smell, and color.

To assess its degree of ripeness, the first thing you should look at is how the fruit feels in your hand. If it feels good to the touch, but the color still isn’t right, make no mistake and consider it mature anyway.

Texture

To check the texture of the mango, grasp the top of the fruit, near the stem, with your fingers. Apply light pressure to check how soft it is.

If the mango gives a bit, it is perfectly ripe and ready to eat. However, if light pressure pierces the fruit, it is overripe.

It may also be helpful to note that ripe mangoes often develop some wrinkling of the skin. When they are overripe and begin to spoil, the wrinkles deepen and begin to cover a large part of the fruit.

To check for wrinkles, you can lightly rub the surface of the handle with your fingertips and feel the skin for any unusual signs of this type.

Aspect

Some brown spots and specks are completely normal on mangoes. In fact, they are sometimes an indication that the mangoes are ripe and ready to eat.

The problem arises when they develop large black spots that extend into the background.

If you see fluid oozing from the damaged skin, it’s best to discard the mango . Also, mold is a big sign that your mango is bad and you know what to do with it ( throw it away ).

Also, when you cut an overripe mango, you will notice that the inside of the fruit is soft to the touch and has a different, darker color than other ripe mangoes.

Smells

The smell of a mango is a great indicator of the ripeness of the fruit. The best way to check its scent is to sniff it close to the stem area, as the scent is strongest there and will give you a better idea of what the mango actually smells like.

If the smell is strong, fruity and sweet, the mango is most likely fully ripe and in the right phase to be eaten.

However, if it smells sour or alcoholic, or even somewhat bitter, it’s a sure sign that the mango is overripe and rotting.

The reason mangoes develop such a strong odor when they start to go bad is their high sugar content, which causes them to naturally ferment, making an overripe mango probably taste as bad as it smells.

Color

Mangoes are found in different colors ranging from green to yellow, through orange, red and purple. The color of a ripe mango depends on the variety of the mango in question.

As already stated, there are over 500 different varieties of mangoes around the world, and they all display a different color when ripe and ready to eat.

Some varieties can stay green even when ripe, while others can turn a bright yellow or deep orange when ready.

Therefore, you should not rely solely on the color of the mango to check its ripeness and use it only as a reserve indicator.

How long do mangoes last?

Mangoes, like any other fresh fruit, are perishable and have a limited shelf life. The time they last in your kitchen depends on their degree of maturity.

An immature mango, depending on the type of fruit and its degree of maturation, can take between 1 and 7 days to mature.

One that is fully green and firm will take much longer to mature than one that already shows yellow tinges and softens a bit.

A ripe mango can last a minimum of 5 days in the fridge if stored correctly. You can get a couple more days if the fruit was not fully ripe when stored in the fridge.

A diced or sliced ripe mango should also last a few days in the fridge. But keep in mind that whole fruits last longer than peeled or cut into pieces.

How to preserve mangoes?

When it comes to properly storing mangoes, it all depends on whether they are ripe or unripe.

For immature mangoes, it is best to store them at room temperature. You can put them in a paper bag or just leave them on the counter in a fruit basket.

Whatever you decide, make sure there is no direct sunlight where the mangoes are.

The paper bag technique is especially useful if you need to speed up the ripening process. It helps trap the ethylene gas that mangos produce, which contributes to the ripening of the fruit.

To speed things up even more, you can take any other fruit or vegetable that produces ethylene gas and put it in the paper bag with the mangoes.

You can use tomatoes, avocados, apples and bananas for this purpose. Just be sure to check on the mangoes every day or two.

Since mangoes continue to ripen at room temperature, once ripe, it is best to store them in the refrigerator, where they can keep for 5 to 14 days.

For sliced or diced mangoes, be sure to store them in an airtight container and store them in the fridge for a couple of days.

Related questions

Now that we’ve gone over some ways to check if your mangoes are ripe or gone bad, let’s take a look at some related questions!

Can mangoes be frozen?

If possible. You can easily find frozen mangoes at the grocery store and there’s no reason you can’t make your own at home.

If you want to keep your mangoes for longer, you can put them in the freezer, where they will keep for up to 6 months. Here’s how to do it:

• Wash, peel and cut the mangoes into cubes, slices or strips , depending on your preference and the use you plan to give them after defrosting.
• Take a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat or parchment paper , or any shallow dish, and place the mango pieces on top so they are not touching.
• Put the sheet or plate in the freezer , preferably overnight, so the mangoes freeze.
• Once the mangoes are frozen, transfer them to freezer bags , seal them tightly removing as much air as possible, and label them with the date for future reference.

Can you eat overripe mangoes?

Overripe mangoes may not be the prettiest, but they can be eaten if they’re a bit overripe. 

Of course, it all comes down to personal preference; what may be too ripe for one may be just what another needs.

It is important to understand that an overripe mango and a mango that has gone bad are two different things . Slightly overripe mangoes can be used in smoothies, as a puree, in desserts or to make a delicious mango jam or chutney.

Do a little taste test before using your overripe mangoes in a recipe. If a part of the mango is too ripe for your liking, you can remove it and use the rest of the fruit.

Just be sure to avoid soft mangoes and ones with visible brown or black markings. Also, oozing fluid and mold growth are a big no and sure signs that the handle has gone bad.