How To Use A Drinking Glass To Peel A Mango
There are plenty of reasons to eat a mango. The bright, juicy tropical fruit — which is at its peak in the late spring and summer months — delivers a tart-yet-sweet flavor that is the perfect complement to fresh salads, energizing smoothies, rice and meat dishes, and a number of other sweet or savory dishes, per the Food Network. Of course, mangoes are also enjoyable as a snack on their own.
These tasty stone fruits also deliver a host of health benefits. Mangoes contain a number of essential nutrients and antioxidants — including vitamin C, copper, folate, vitamin B6, and potassium — but are low in calories, according to Healthline. Studies show that eating mango can help reduce the risk of developing diabetes and certain cancers and can help improve digestion and support heart health.
However, there is one big reason to avoid eating mango: the peel. Mangoes are covered with tough, bitter skin that can be quite a pain to peel. But that doesn't mean you have to spend more for pre-sliced mango or invest in pricey mango peelers. It turns out there is a simple, easy way to peel a mango using a tool you already have in your kitchen cabinet.
The edge of a glass peels the skin
It might sound too good to be true, but mangoes can be peeled using just a regular old drinking glass. This useful hack can peel your mango in seconds, and all that's required is a knife and a water glass. First, use a sharp knife to carefully slice the mango in half, skin and all. Once you have two manageable slices of a mango, you take one half and position it against the lip of the glass until its edge comes between the skin and the flesh of the fruit, according to Self.
Once it is in position, all you have to do is gently apply pressure on the mango while holding the glass steady. As you push the mango down, the edge of the glass gently peels off the skin until it is completely removed from the flesh. And the best part is the peeled mango lands cleanly inside the water glass, so there is no sticky residue left all over the kitchen counter that has to be scrubbed off. The skin can be tossed, and the peeled mango pieces can then easily be placed on a plate or cutting board for slicing, or just enjoyed as is. This peeling method is an easy, no-muss, no-fuss way to enjoy your mango.
There are a number of ways to peel a mango
However, there is more than one way to skin a mango. While the drinking glass hack is convenient and affordable, that certainly doesn't mean it is the only way to peel the fruit. Whether you don't want to risk damaging your glassware or simply want a more artistic way to peel a mango in front of guests, there are plenty of other fruit-peeling hacks that you can employ.
The mango's thick exterior can also be peeled off using a simple vegetable peeler, according to Spice Cravings. Simply trim the edges with a sharp knife, and then peel the skin off like you would any other vegetable. If you don't have a vegetable peeler, the flesh can even be removed with a simple spoon. After cutting the mango in half, you simply have to slice the exposed flesh crosswise into cubes. Then all that remains is to take a spoon and scoop out the cubes, being careful to keep the spoon close to the skin. But mangoes don't even have to be peeled at all. They can be sliced into bite-sized pieces with the skin still on, or the flesh can be scooped out and eaten directly from the skin with a spoon for an easy snack. So no matter how you decide to peel it — or don't — that pesky skin shouldn't be the reason for not enjoying this delicious, healthy fruit.