Using the salt solution, or steeping, method, green mangoes can easily be preserved for eight to ten months. The preserved fruit can later be used to make a range of foods.

Equipment and materials needed for processing: plastic drums or containers with airtight lids, a weighing balance, a boti or knife, a saucepan, clean water, salt, glacial acetic acid and potassium metabisulphite (KMS).

The preserved mangoes can be eaten as they are, or mixed with vegetables and lentil dishes. They can easily be used to make pickles and chutneys, and the mango pulp can be used to make juice.

• Collect mature (6–16 weeks) green mangoes and wash them in clean water.
• Depending on the size of the fruit, the mangoes can be preserved whole or cut into two or four pieces.
• Blanch the fruit (keep it in hot water at 70–80°C for 2–3 minutes), then cool it by soaking in water for 10 minutes.
• To make the steeping solution, use 10% salt, 1% glacial acetic acid and 0.1% potassium metabisulphite. (One kilogram of solution needs 100 grams of salt, 10 millilitres of acetic acid, 1 gram of potassium metabisulphite and 890 millilitres of water.)
• First make the salt solution, boil it for 5 minutes and strain it through a thin cloth, then add the measured acetic acid and potassium metabisulphite.
• Clean the plastic drum or container well and sterilise it by washing with hot water at 80–90°C.
• Place the fruit or fruit pieces in the clean, sterilised drum or container and add the steeping solution. (About 1.25 to 1.5 kg of steeping solution is needed for each kilogram of fruit or slices.)
• Fit the lid tightly on the container filled with fruit and solution, and seal the join well with adhesive tape so that the container is completely airtight.
• Keep the containers in a clean, relatively cool place.

• Before use, wash the green mangoes or mango pieces preserved in steeping solution thoroughly in clean water.
• After taking out the amount of mango needed, fit the lid back on the container tightly so that it is completely airtight again.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.