Vintage Recipes from the Baul: Mango Recipes

In preparation for the imminent demise of Mona’s mango tree I am eating as much of it’s fruit as I can (hence the bum stomach – but it was worth it, believe me). Now I know why so many people are crazy about green mangoes and bagoong (salted, fermented shrimp or fish paste/sauce). I am glad all the Hantik (angry, large, obnoxious ants) have left the tree but now the tree is defenseless and open to groups of kids on their summer vacation on the prowl for some poaching action.

I got these recipes from my mother’s friend who worked in the Research and Development Department of the DOST. It was fun to experiment with my favorite fruit (next to mangosteen that is). The mango jam and chutney always turns out mushy when I make it, until I stopped using the kalabaw (Carabao, a variety of mango) which has too much liquid (much nicer to eat than cook anyway). The pico, (Pico is a variety of mango) despite the strange after taste when eaten ripe and raw, is preferable to the kalabaw when it comes to cooking.

I don’t know who would be interested in drying his/her own mangoes at home, but it can be done. Although I do not add preservatives, I do cook it in a sugar syrup to act as a preservative and to counter any sour mangoes. The fruit to use in dried mangoes is also the pico variety.

Of course if you have mangoes in the house, may it be green or ripe, sour or sugary the best way to eat it is still in all it’s naked glory.

Baul: Chest Drawer

Mango Jam

Ripe (mushy is fine) mangoes (pico variety works well)
Refined white sugar

*Use wooden spoons, glass bowls and stainless steel utensils when preparing mango jam.

1. Wash the mangoes well to remove any trace of sap. Slice the flesh and discard the seed.
2. Press the flesh of the mangoes through a strainer. Measure.
3. Place the mango slices in a stainless steel saucepan and add sugar to the ration of 2 cups mangoes to 1 cup sugar. Mix.
4. Cook over a medium-low flame, stirring constantly until thick. 5. Carefully spoon into sterilized jelly jars and cover tightly.

Mango Chutney

1 kilo slightly soft but still green, uniformly sized mangoes (pico variety), sliced
4 tablespoons refined salt

2 cups distilled white vinegar

3 cups brown sugar (depends on the sweetness of the mangoes, start with 3 cups and add more to taste)

1/2″ ginger, peeled and sliced thinly
1 clove garlic, slightly crushed, thin papery skin removed
8 small native onions (substitute shallots), leave whole. If too big, cut into two.
2 whole pepper corns
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 of a whole star anise
100 grams raisins

1. Wash the mangoes well to remove all trace of the sticky sap. Peel off the skin and remove the flesh in 2 thick pieces. Remove the middle part (the seed) and reserve for eating later.
2. Slice the mangoes in thin strips, about 1/4″ thick and place in large sterilized jars . Sprinkle salt over the mangoes, cover with a piece of cheesecloth and set aside in a cool place (safest would be inside the refrigerator).
3. The next day, drain all the liquid from the bottle of salted mangoes. Set aside.
4. Boil together the vinegar and sugar to make a sourish sugar syrup. This will act like a pickling solution.
5. Add the pepper, cinnamon stick, star anise and raisins. Continue cooking for at least 5 minutes.
6. Add the drained mango slices, the ginger, garlic and the onions or shallots and continue cooking until the liquid looks thick.
7. Remove the cinnamon stick and star anise. Transfer the mangoes, the syrup and the rest of the ingredients into sterilized glass jars and cover tightly.

Dried Sweet Mango

500 gm ripe but not mushy mangoes (Pico variety)
2 cups thin sugar syrup

Clean the mangoes well to remove all trace of sap. Remove the skin and slice the flesh into wide strips. Set aside the seed to eat later. Brush the slices of mangoes with the syrup and set aside in a cool place, lightly covered. Repeat brushing the mangoes with syrup slowly until the mangoes are thoroughly saturated.

Dry under the sun (lay over clean straw) for at least two hours, turn as needed. Can also be dried in an oven, but the temperature must not go over 54*C.