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Pick, peel, and prepare a mangosteen fruit with these tricks
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Mangosteens are a delicious fruit often called the “Queen of Fruit.” This uniquely sweet fruit is about the size of a tangerine and can be found in tropical climates around Asia, India, and Puerto Rico. With its thick purple shell, the mangosteen may seem impossible to eat, but a few easy tricks can help you get to the soft, edible white fruit inside. Keep reading to learn how to peel open and eat a mangosteen.
Opening & Eating Mangosteen Fruit
Squeeze the sides of the mangosteen until the shell cracks, or cut around the circumference with a paring knife. Then, remove the white flesh with your fingers and eat it raw, add it to salads, or make mangosteen juice.
Steps
Section 1 of 5:
How to Open, Peel & Eat a Mangosteen
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Pick a mangosteen with a glossy sheen and no leaking juices. For the best results, look for a mangosteen with a firm outer skin and no cracks, leaking juice, or hardened resin. If the mangosteen has a cap of green leaves, make sure the cap is healthy-looking and no bugs are hiding beneath. [1] X Research source
- Hardened resin on the outside of the rind indicates that the juices have seeped out of the fruit and the fruit isn't fresh.
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Use your fingers to remove the leaves and stem from the top. The cap on a mangosteen is made up of 4 leaves and a stem. Before you open the rind, use your fingers to pluck the cap off of the fruit. Discard the cap after you take it off. [2] X Research source
- The bottom of the fruit has brown, raised ridges. The number of petals on the bottom of the fruit corresponds to the number of sections in the mangosteen. You don’t need to remove this part.
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Press on the top of the fruit with your thumb. After you remove the cap, the top of the shell will be slightly softer than the rest of the outer rind. Hold the fruit in one hand, then use your thumb or index finger to press in on the indentation at the top of the mangosteen. The fruit should give slightly, preparing the outer rind to be broken. [3] X Research source
- Don’t push too hard, as you could damage the soft flesh inside.
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Squeeze on the sides of the mangosteen until the purple shell cracks. After you’ve made a slight crack in the top of the mangosteen, hold the fruit in the fingertips of both hands. Apply gentle pressure to the shell by squeezing until it splits open. [4] X Research source
- The mangosteen shell is about 1 ⁄ 4 in (0.64 cm) thick, but it starts to harden after the fruit is harvested. A very fresh mangosteen will be easy to split by squeezing it, but if it’s been a while, the shell may be tough.
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Make a shallow, horizontal cut around the shell if it's tough. If your mangosteen shell doesn't crack easily, carefully use a thin, sharp paring knife to make a 1 ⁄ 4 – 1 ⁄ 3 in (0.64–0.85 cm) deep, horizontal cut around the shell. Then, twist and lift off the top of the shell. [5] X Research source
- Don't cut all the way into the shell, as you could damage the fruit.
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Pull out the white flesh with your fingers and eat it. Pick out the flesh with your hands or use a small fork. Large segments of mangosteen fruit usually contain a seed, so watch out for these while eating. Smaller segments are usually seedless. [6] X Research source
- Mangosteen seeds are white when the fruit is fresh, but as the fruit ages, the seeds start to turn brown, affecting the color of the fruit. The whiter the flesh, the fresher the fruit. [7] X Research source
- Yellow sections of mangosteen flesh can be very bitter.
- Whole mangosteen can be stored at room temperature for several days. However, once you cut open the shell, place any remaining fruit in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Serving suggestions: Add mangosteen to sweet treats like jam and ice cream , or use the whole segments as a sweet salad topping !
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Section 2 of 5:
How to Make Mangosteen Juice
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Peel 3 to 4 large, ripe mangosteens. To make mangosteen juice, choose several large mangosteens with firm, glossy skin. Either squeeze them to crack the skin open or use a small, sharp knife to make a shallow cut horizontally around the skin, then lift away the top half to expose the fruit inside. [8] X Research source
- This drink is also known as santol-ade.
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Chop up the fruit and remove the seeds. Place the white, fleshy fruit on a cutting board and carefully use a sharp knife to cut the fruit into small pieces. The fruit should cut easily and will likely fall apart, so don’t worry about making the pieces evenly sized. Just break up the fruit as much as you can. [9] X Research source
- Consider placing the fruit into a bowl after it’s cut to catch any juices that run out.
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Mix 1 cup (200 g) of sugar and 3 cups (710 mL) of water in a large pitcher. Stir the mixture with a long-handled spoon or put the lid on and shake it thoroughly until the sugar is dissolved to ensure your drink is evenly sweetened. [10] X Research source
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Add the chopped-up mangosteen to the water and stir. Once the sugar is completely dissolved, place the chopped-up mangosteen in the pitcher. Give the mixture another good stir or shake, but don’t worry about getting it completely blended. The flavor of the fruit will infuse into the drink as it rests. [11] X Research source
Tip: To make the juice more flavorful, puree half of the rind and add it to the water as well. You can also add other fruit juices, like apple juice or white grape juice, if you like.
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Add 5 cups (1,200 mL) of water to the pitcher. After you’ve added the other ingredients, pour 5 more cups (1,200 mL) of water into the pitcher. Stir or shake it one more time to make sure the sugar is distributed evenly. [12] X Research source
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Place the pitcher in the refrigerator for 4 hours. Santol-ade needs time to steep to fully infuse the flavor of the mangosteen. Plus, the drink tastes better when it’s chilled. [13] X Research source
- This drink naturally browns as it sits. When ready, it may have a color similar to diluted apple juice.
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Strain, if desired, and serve over ice. Some like the texture of the mangosteen in their juice, while others prefer to strain the mixture. If you want a pulp-free beverage, pour the juice through a fine-mesh strainer or coffee filter, then enjoy it on its own or over ice. [14] X Research source
- If you don’t strain the juice, give it another shake or a stir before you serve it.
- Drink the juice within 1 to 3 days, and store it in the fridge.
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References
- ↑ https://youtu.be/Iz06Hon8k5I?t=27
- ↑ https://youtu.be/cXOXSzBHxxk?t=20
- ↑ https://youtu.be/cXOXSzBHxxk?t=23
- ↑ https://youtu.be/cXOXSzBHxxk?t=29
- ↑ https://youtu.be/n8TuPm7F7AE?t=31
- ↑ https://youtu.be/n8TuPm7F7AE?t=70
- ↑ http://mangosteen.com/Enjoyingthemangosteen.htm
- ↑ https://graceandlightness.com/mangosteen-juice-santol-ade-recipe/
- ↑ https://www.thepeachkitchen.com/2011/08/santol-juice-wild-mangosteen-juice-2/
- ↑ https://www.thepeachkitchen.com/2011/08/santol-juice-wild-mangosteen-juice-2/
- ↑ https://www.thepeachkitchen.com/2011/08/santol-juice-wild-mangosteen-juice-2/
- ↑ https://www.thepeachkitchen.com/2011/08/santol-juice-wild-mangosteen-juice-2/
- ↑ https://graceandlightness.com/mangosteen-juice-santol-ade-recipe/
- ↑ https://graceandlightness.com/mangosteen-juice-santol-ade-recipe/
- ↑ https://discover.texasrealfood.com/peak-produce/how-to-tell-if-a-mangosteen-is-ripe
- ↑ https://themom100.com/how-to-cook-with-mangosteens/
- ↑ https://www.52kitchenadventures.com/2010/10/24/week-43-mangosteen/
- ↑ https://www.knowyourproduce.com/mangosteen/
About This Article
Article Summary
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To eat a mangosteen, first, pluck the leaves and stem from the top of the fruit with your fingers since they’re inedible. Then, hold the fruit in one hand and use the thumb or index finger of your other hand to gently press in on the indentation on the top of the mangosteen. Once you’ve made a slight crack in the top, hold the fruit in your fingertips and apply pressure until the purple shell splits open. With the shell open, pick out the white fruit and enjoy, but make sure to watch out for the occasional seed. For more tips, like how to make mangosteen juice, scroll down!
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Reader Success Stories
- "Thanks, it was very good. I live in Iran and it's not easy to find these kinds of fruits here, so I had no idea how to eat it. But I think mangosteen is now my favorite fruit." ..." more
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"Thanks, it was very good. I live in Iran and it's not easy to find these kinds of fruits here, so I had no idea how to eat it. But I think mangosteen is now my favorite fruit."
..."
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