Port Blair, Apr 09: Mango is rich in vitamin A, C, flavones, carotenes, glucosides, sterols, aromatic acids, essential acids, fatty acids and phenolics. It is a powerful nutritive fruit containing most of the essential substances that meet the nutritional security of people.
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands is known for its mango diversity with array of cultivars, local selections and even wild mango. Wide diversity exists in the flowering and fruiting behavior in the Island and it is often noticed that flowering occurs throughput the year. Such off-season fruiting and multiple fruiting seasons make the fruits available during most of the months in a year.
Now, at this hour of COVID-19 lock down, selling the fresh mango fruits would be difficult owing to the transportation difficulties and market restrictions. The mango fruits can be utilized at every stage of growth for preparing different value-added products. Therefore, the farmers can opt for preparation of different processed products from both unripe and ripe mangoes which could be stored for more time for self-use as well as for local sales afterwards. The methodologies are briefly given in this advisory for the benefit of growers.
Raw mango products
Mango fruits during early stages of growth are commonly used for sweet or sour chutney. As the fruits attain stone hardening stage, they become suitable for other useful products like pickle, amchur, etc.
• Pickle: Different kinds of pickle are made from raw mango. However, pickle in oil is the most common among all. Pickles are prepared with 40 g salt, 50 g fenugreek seeds, 20 g turmeric, 50 g ginger, 25 g red chillies, 30 g black pepper, 30 g fennel and 300 g cooking oil per kilogram of mango slices. Small slices from mature green fruit are mixed with sufficient quantity of powdered salt and kept in sun till green colour disappears from the slices. Spices are mixed in it and the slices dipped in boiled, cool oil. The prepared pickle is filled in clean glass jars and cured for couple of days in sun. Oil less pickle is another popular form of pickle from mango. The fruits are peeled, sliced into small pieces and mixed with 20 per cent salt, 7.5 per cent chilli powder and 1 per cent asafetida according to the weight of pieces. The whole mixture is then kept in sun for few days with frequent stirring and then filled in clean glass jars. The jars are stored in clean dry place.
• Amchur: Mango slices from peeled mangoes dipped in 1.5 per cent solution of potassium metabisulphtite (which could be bought from groceries stores) for 5 minutes and dried in sun. Amchur is obtained by grinding the dry slices and thereafter stored in airtight containers.
• Slices: Raw mango slices dipped in 1.5 per cent solution of potassium metabisulphtite for 5 minutes, dried, mixed with equal amount of powdered salt and stored in polythene pouches. These slices could used later for product preparation.
• Green mango beverage (Aam pana): Whole raw mangoes boiled with equal amount of water and the pulp is extracted. To 1 kg of extract, 1.6 kgs sugar, 1.6 l water, 80 g salt, 20 g pudhina, 10 g cumin, 4 g black pepper and 20 g citric acid are mixed. Mixture is heated and filled in clean glass bottles and this may be used as raw mango squash. This Aam pana is a refreshing drink during summer and is considered as a wonderful remedy for heat stroke.
Ripe mango products
Ripe mango products possess the characteristic blend of taste and flavour. It contains good amount of sugar, pectin, carotenoids, etc. Due to comparatively shorter storage life of mango fruits, it is essential to make their products immediately. Some of the important products are as follows
• Pulp: Ripe mangoes are washed, peeled and cut into slices. The slices are grinded into pulp which is filtered through a sieve to remove the fibers. The pulp is heated to 80 -85oC 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.
• Nectar: One kg of ripe mango pulp is mixed with sugar syrup (200 g sugar added in one litre of water and 0.5 g citric acid) and boiled to 85oC. After cooling, the nectar is capped, sealed and stored
• Squash: Squash is prepared by mixing 1 kg of pulp with sugar syrup (I kg sugar in 750 ml of water). The whole mixture is heated to 80 -85oC and then 20 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.
• Slices: Firm ripe mango fruits are peeled and cut into slices. The slices are then transferred into boiling syrup containing 40 per cent sugar and 3 per cent citric acid. 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.
• Jam: Jam is prepared by cooking fruit pulp with sugar and acid to a desired consistency. For one kg of fruit pulp, 750 g of sugar is added and then boiled with 100 ml water and 2 g citric acid. The cooking done till the jam satisfies the sheet test (the consistency should be in such a way that should not flow easily). After cooling the jam is filled in clean bottles and stored for further use.
• Mango leather or Aam papad: Homogenized mango pulp is taken and potassium metabisulphite is added to it @ 2 g/kg of pulp. The pulp is then spread on trays smeared with oil and kept for sun drying. 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 sheets.
Thus, both raw and ripe mangoes could be processed to different products which will result in control of fruit loss and meeting the dietary requirements of the family.
