Can You Freeze Mangoes? How to Freeze Mangoes for a Year?
Mangoes are a sacred and loved fruit in India, their origin country. It won’t be wrong to accept that this sugary juicy and pulpy fruit has fans all over the world. Would you love to freeze mangoes and relish them across the year? Then keep reading to the end to know more about how to freeze mangoes.
A mango is as old as 5000 years and has exports going on across the world in differing varieties. If there’s a single fruit that is packed with vitamins, minerals, and every other essential nutritional element, then it has to be a mango.
You can blend frozen mangoes in smoothies or add them to fruit cakes. Who said a fresh and juicy mango is best relished only in summer? Well, if you freeze them properly, the mangos can be used for an entire year. Here’s what you can do to freeze mangoes.
How to Freeze Mangoes Without Chopping Them?
So, you wish to freeze mangoes without getting involved in the mess of chopping or slicing them. Well, the good news is you can do that too! Often people tend to buy mangoes in bulk, especially if it’s the summer season.
No one has a pre-planned meal or eating routine for fruits, and most of us like to have them freshly served. If that’s the case with you then this method of freezing mangoes would work for you effectively.
Take fresh mangoes and give them a nice wash. Pat them dry using napkins and allow them to dry at room temperature for at least an hour. It is because any traces of moisture will end up deteriorating the quality of the mangoes.
Now take clean ziplock bags and drop your mangoes in the bag. Remove excess air from the bag using a straw or by pressing with your hands. Then add labels to the bags and pop them in the freezer. That is all it takes to freeze whole mangoes.
Tips for Freezing Whole Mangoes | Can you freeze mangoes whole?
If you are freezing whole mangoes then here’s a list of things you should be aware of. First of all, try to avoid freezing them as a whole. Yes, that’s the very first step we have for you. It is because freezing whole mangoes decrease their shelf life and make them prone to discoloration.
Thus, it is better to use them fresh instead of freezing them. However, if you have a large number of mangoes then you can freeze them using the above method. But, make sure you use these mangoes within three months. Also, when you are using frozen mangoes, be sure to check their texture and smell.
If they are emitting a bad odor or show brownish coloration then they are no good. Discard them right away and check if others are doing fine or not. Do not freeze an extremely ripened mango. The max they will last in the ripened stage in the freezer is 5 days. So, there’s no point in freezing them further and ruining your freezer.
Can You Freeze Mangoes in Slices or Chunks? How to freeze mango chunks?
Freezing a whole mango is an easy peezy thing to do. But what about the mangoes in chunks? Let’s find out!
Frozen mango smoothies and milkshakes are loved by people from all age groups. Well, what if we say that you can freeze mango chunks and use them to save a great deal of time? You can freeze mangoes in the shapes of chunks or slices by following these steps.
Step 1: Pick Fresh Mangoes and Clean Them
The basic step to freezing any fruit is to clean them and pat them dry. So, pick mature mangoes that are near ripening and clean them with water. Then pat them dry using kitchen towels or napkins.
Step 2: Chop and Flash Freeze Mangoes
Remove the peels of the fruits and slice them and use the frozen mango chunks as per your recipe. If you are using it in mango smoothies then large chunks would suffice, however, for mango cakes and decorations you might need small slices. Then, align these chopped mangoes on a lined baking tray and freeze them for an entire night.
Step 3: Freeze Mangoes in Bags
Once the mangoes are frozen well, you can transfer them to freezer-safe bags or containers and freeze them. Add labels to the bags or boxes for future identification. You can freeze these mangoes for six months to eight months effectively.
How to Freeze Mangoes for a Year? How long can you freeze mangoes?
Who says this is the only way to freeze mangoes for longer periods? We have got another bonus method for you to help you in the process. The above method will help you retain your mangoes for eight months to the max. But, now we can give you a tip that will help you freeze mangoes for a year!
Follow step number one and two given in the previous method. After that shift your mango chunks or pieces into a mason jar or any other airtight jar, and start preparing simple syrup. You don’t need extra sugary syrup, any ordinary freshly prepared simple syrup would do just well.
Now, fill the jar or container containing mango pieces with this simple syrup. Make sure the slices are sufficiently dipped in the syrup. Pop the jar with the seal closed into the freezer and now you can use these mangoes for 18 months effectively.
Tips To Refreeze and Defrost Frozen Mango | How to preserve mangoes for long time?
Now, you are well aware of three effective ways to freeze mangoes. Let’s talk about ways to use them in the future. Starting with whole mangoes, you can simply remove them from the freezer and let them sit for an hour or two till they soften.
Run a quick quality check and you are good to use your whole mangoes in your recipes. To defrost frozen mango or mango slices or chunks, you can remove the amount you will need in a separate bowl and thaw it overnight in the refrigerator. Do not microwave or abruptly shift frozen mangoes to room temperature
For mangoes frozen in sugar syrup follow the same tip for thawing as before. However, if you are going to use them in recipes like smoothies then it’s better if they are used in a frozen state. It will give you a thick creamy texture which is best for smoothies and milkshakes. Do not refreeze thawed mango chunks. If you do so, you will end up destroying them for later use.
Freezing Mango Puree | Can you freeze mango puree?
Freezing mango puree is essentially simple. Scoop out puree from fresh mangoes and mix them with sugar syrup as per your taste. Whisk the puree using a beater for a clean finish and strain for perfect consistency. Then, freeze the puree in ice cube trays and shift the frozen puree cubes into separate bags or containers. It is best if you can use these puree cubes within six to eight months.
Recipes with Frozen Mangoes
What’s better than a soothing and easy frozen mango snack on a weekend eve?! Try these recipes for satisfying your hunger.
1. Frozen Mango Nice Cream
To make a healthy dairy-free ice cream, blend frozen mangoes in a blender. Add maple syrup or sugar syrup for extra sweetness. Lastly, add a scoop of Greek yogurt to get an extra creamy texture and serve chilled.
2. Frozen Mangoes and Peanut Butter Smoothie
What’s better than a plain peanut butter snack post-workout? A frozen mango smoothie it is! To prepare one, add frozen mango slices or chunks to a blender and two heaped teaspoons of peanut butter to it. Add sweetener as per your choice and top it with a cup of chilled milk or Greek yogurt. Mix all the ingredients into a frothy mix and serve.
3. Frozen Mango Salad Dressing
Salad dressings can go from zero to a hundred with this sweet and spicy punch! Blend frozen mango puree or cubes with herbs of your choice into a thick creamy mixture. Serve it with fresh salads and level up your salad game.
Mango is the perfect fruit to savor across all seasons. Follow these tips and methods to freeze mangoes for longer periods without losing their flavor. Impress your guests with these recipes that taste perfectly fresh and rejuvenating.