1. Control the ripeness of mangoes
It is important to choose the correct ripeness of mangoes before freezing them. The color of the peeled pulp is a good indicator: the fewer brown spots the better. The next step is to check the interior color and texture. Cut the mango. If the color is uniformly yellow and firm when pressed, the mango can be further frozen.
2. Control the sweetness
According to international standards, the accepted sweetness level for mangoes is between 11 and 14. In Asia, however, the sweetness can be as high as 22, which is also an appealing feature, but one that makes freezing more challenging.
3. Suitable dicing equipment
Hand peeling and cutting frozen mangoes are the most recommended method. It is important to determine the sharpness of the blade. Cutting mangoes with automatic dicer can often result in more irregular shapes on the edges of the mangoes, which means more work to sort out the smaller mango pieces and remove them after cutting. If the smaller pieces are not removed, they will stick to other diced mangoes during the freezing process.
4. Pre-chill before freezing
It is important to cool the mangoes immediately after dicing. Frozen mango processors typically use ice water close to 0 degrees for cooling because the mangoes have risen in temperature before being transferred to the single freezer. In order to achieve good results, it is recommended that the feeding temperature of the mangoes before entering the single freezer is below 5 degrees.
5. Drain well
It is very important to cool the mango after draining the water. The maximum surface moisture should not exceed 2%. This is essential to achieve good freezing results.