09/04/12

We have been preparing for the fair at our house.... in the middle of everything else.  :)

I made chutney for the first time this year and it is pretty great tasting stuff. 

Chutney is originally from India and is used with any kinds of food.  A lot of people add it on top of chicken/pork/fish.  

I chose to make mango chutney.

Little did I realize that there is a certain way to cut a mango!

I thought I would give you all a lesson today in case you didn't know how to do so.  

First, hold the mango in this position.... "up" is how I think of it.  Remember, I teach second graders so I have to be really simple in my directions.  :)

Next, you cut down the center of the top until you can feel the seed.  The seed is actually SQUARE and fibrous!!  Pretty neat, I think.  :)

Once you feel the seed, you take your knife out and cut a little to the right and left of the center.  You want to avoid going through the seed.

Do you see the whitish spot in the center below?  That would be the seed!

After you cut the sides, you then cut the "small" sides beside the seed.  Do your best not to get that seed!

This was where I was a bit confused at first.... of course, I was confused a bit before Kevin taught me.  (No comments, peeps...)  

You take a paring knife and cut lines through the mango while it is still in the skin.

Repeat cutting lines the opposite way until you have cubes.

Press underneath the skin to make the cubes "pop."

How cute is that?

After it is "popped" you just use your paring knife to cut the mango out of the skin.  

I have cut so many mangoes in the last two weeks that I think I am a pro at it now.  

At least enough to post this tutorial on my blog.

Did I make you want some mangoes?