Mango fruits during early stages of growth are commonly used for sweet or sour chutney. Astone hardening stage they are suitable for making amchoor, pickle, slices, green mango beverages, etc.
(b) Ripe mango products
Ripe mango fruit has characteristic blend of taste and flavour. It contains = amount of sugar, pectin, carotenoids, etc., but due to short storage life of mango, the following products habe to be prepared immediately.
(i) Pulp: Fully ripe mangoes are washed, peeled and cut into slices. The slices are then homogenized into pulp which is filtered through a sieve to remove the fibres. The pulp is heated to 76-78 degree Celsius and 2 g citric acid and 2 g potassium metabisulphite are added per kg of pulp. It is filled in sterilized glass jars and lids are sealed with wax.
(ii) Beverages (Juice and Nectar): Mango juice may be prepared by mixing 1/3 of fresh or stored pulp with 2/5 of water. Sugar and citric acid are so added that total soluble slides (T.S.S.) and acidity of the product reaches to 15 per cent and 0.3 per cent, respectively. The mixture is heated to 95 degree Celsius, filled hot in clean, sterilized bottles and crown corked. The bottles are sterilized in boiling water for 10-15 minutes, cooled to room temperature and stored. The procedure for nectar preparation is similar to that of juice except that the pulp percentage is reduced to 15 %.
(iii) Squash: Squash is prepared by mixing 1 kg of pulp with sugar syrup (1 kg sugar in 750 ml water) . The whole mixture is heated to 76 - 78 degree Celsius and then 25 - 30 g citric acid is added to it. The prepared squash is filled in clean, sterilized bottles and stored. At the time of use, three parts of water is added to one part of squash.
(iv) Slices: Firm ripe mango fruits are peeled and cut into slices. The slices are then transferred to boiling syrup containing 40 per cent sugar, 0.3 per cent citric acid and 350 ppm sulphur dioxide for 5 minutes. The slices are filled in clean jars and boiling syrup is poured until all the slices are covered. Finally, the jars are covered with lids and sealed with wax.
(v) Mango Leather or Aam Papad: Homogenized mango pulp is taken and potassium metabisulphite is added to it @ 2 g per kg of pulp. The pulp is then spread on trays smeared without and kept for drying in solar dehydrator or sun. After drying of one layer, another layer is spread over it and kept for drying. The process is repeated as per desired thickness. Finally they are cut into pieces and wrapped in butter paper or polythene cellophane sheet.
(vi) Fresh-cut mangoes: Recent developments in the pre-prepared fruit salad market offer opportunities for processing of seconds. Although the technology is relatively new for maintaining the shelf life of pre-cut fruit, it does have significant market potential. Mangoes could be an attractive addition to the growing market for fresh-cut produce, but browning and drying have prevented such marketing. However, researchers at the USDA-ARS Horticultural Crops Quality Laboratory, USA found that fresh-cut mangoes could be preserved by treating the slices with a combination of hexylresorcinol, iso-ascorbic acid and potassium sorbate (all food-safe compounds derived from natural products) and storing the slices in plastic containers to prevent drying. Treating whole fruits with methyl jasmonate (an inexpensive product derived from plant essential oils) prevents the development of chilling injury during cold storage and hence markedly increased fruit quality after storage.
