OFF THE SHELF
Florida-style mango being marketed from Mokule'ia

By Wanda A. Adams
Advertiser Food Editor

The Tommy Atkins mango is the No. 1 seller in the United States and was developed from a Haden seedling planted in Broward County, Fla., in 1922, according to the Florida Department of Agriculture. It first fruited in the early 1940s, and the trees were first sold in 1948.

Some folks might be put off by the skin color of the Tommy Atkins, which ranges from deep green through yellow to crimson or purple; the skin can remain green in parts even when the mango is fully ripe. To judge ripeness, check for fragrance and a slight "give" when you press the mango gently with your fingers.

These mangoes are big guys and can weigh up to a pound and a half, though a pound is about standard.

This mango's firm texture makes it a good choice for cooking (although it's delicious eaten out of hand). Chunks of the mango maintain their shape in salsas, and it's also suitable for baking into tarts or pies, or use in a crumble or clafouti.

Coming into markets now and beginning to replace Tommy Atkins is the Keith mango, also from Mokuleia Farms . It's a very large, round, fat mango with green skin, a small pit and lots of fiber-free flesh. The taste is more zingy and tart, like eating half-ripe mangoes. This one makes great mango salad (in the Thai or Indian fashion), pickled mango and such. Again, don't be put off by the skin color; this mango may have only a blush of red on its green surface.