Fresh Homemade Mango Juice

At the first sign of fresh mangoes in the grocery stores I make a batch of Fresh Homemade Mango Juice. After that this is on repeat throughout the hot summer days of mango season. If you’ve never had it before, a refreshing glass of mango juice is a real treat!

What Are Mangoes?

The mango is a popular tropical fruit that grows predominantly in Asia and Mexico. The mango skin is firm and inedible, but the flesh of a fully ripe mango is smooth, sweet and juicy.

Unripe mangoes are slightly green and tough, unlike their ripe yellow counterparts. But these are also popularly used to make chutneys, pickles and even a fruit juice called “Keri ka sherbet” in Pakistan.

Raw or ripe, the mango has a lot of fiber and is a very healthy and nutritious fruit. While most enjoy it for its taste, there are a lot of health benefits that should not be ignored!

Health Benefits of Mangoes

• Rich Source of Vitamin A
• High levels of Beta Carotene
• Contains lots of Iron
• High levels of Vitamin C
• Loaded with Vitamin B6
• Rich in Potassium

These are just some of the key health benefits of mangoes. But overall, the fruit helps with inflammation, our immune system, blood pressure and also contains cancer fighting antioxidants. 

Making The Juice

Making Mango juice is a little different from other types of homemade juices. The mango holds its juice in its membranes or vesicles and the only way to release this juice is to shred the fruit. So instead of a juicer, a food processor or blender is used to grind the mango flesh to a pulp.

As a result of this, the juice is really thick and needs to be strained and then possibly diluted a little bit. In order to preserve the mango flavor, many people add orange juice, pineapple juice or coconut water rather than simple cold water to their juice.

My recipe is a little bit different and I find it easier and better for a few reasons that I’ll outline below as I go through the various steps of making it!

Baking & Steaming the Mangoes

To start off, I peel my mangoes and place them in my 360cookware 9”x13” bake and roast pan. I preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and add about ¼ cup water to the pan.

Then I cover the pan with some foil to create steam and bake the mangoes in the oven for about 45 minutes.

You can of course use any roasting pan you have, but I loved the thickness of the 360cookware pan as it helped create the steam necessary to cook the mangoes perfectly.

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This reason for baking the mangoes helps in a few ways. Once cooked, the pulp comes off the pit very easily and you’ll find that the fibers don’t need to be strained.

 A quick pulse in the blender and you will have a smooth mango puree. Furthermore, once cooked, the fridge and freezer life of the mangoes will be much longer.

Blending the Mangoes

Once the mangoes are baked, cool them a little bit and then remove the pulp from the pit. You’ll find that the pulp is so soft after being baked that it comes right off using your hands.

Discard the pits and squeeze some lemon juice on the mangoes. This helps prevent oxidation and discoloration so your juice will be a beautiful yellow color.

Often, the mangoes are so sweet, no added sugar is necessary, but I like to make and keep a simple syrup on hand to add in as necessary.

I usually taste the pulp and depending on how sour it seems I blend a little of the syrup with the mangoes and make my concentrate. Once I’m ready to serve my fresh mango juice, I just dilute this with the amount of water I feel is necessary.

Adding the Mix Ins

Now that it’s time to finish and serve your homemade juice, it’s time to add the finishing touches. I add flavor to my fresh juice by adding some black salt, which is a traditional Pakistani add in to a lot of chilled beverages.

 In addition to this, I add some crushed mint leaves and as a final touch, some tajin.

Slice a few lemons and add some ice cubes to a jug full of the juice, give it a stir, pour it in your serving glasses and enjoy!

Of course, there are countless additional flavors, such as chia seeds, that could also work, so feel free to experiment!

The Best Mangoes to Use

Depending on where you reside and what is available to you, here are my recommendations for the best mangoes for this recipe:

• Pakistani Varieties – Langra, Chanusa or Anwar Ratol
• Indian Mangoes – Alphonso or Kesar
• Mexican Varieties – Ataulfo, Honey or Champagne

Storing The Juice

Once my concentrate is ready, I store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week and in the freezer for up to 6 months. The quantity in this recipe made 2 jugs full of the juice. You can either use half and freeze half or you can divide and freeze the concentrate in smaller portions. This way, if you want to make less than a jug full at a time, the option is available.

TIP: Although my concentrate has always stayed ok without any added preservatives, if you want an added layer of protection, you can add 1 teaspoon of citric acid per quart of concentrate.

Other Juices To Try From The Blog

• tamarind-juice
• lemonade-recipe-with-mint

Please rate and comment below if you try and like this recipe. A share of your beautiful creations on my social media is always welcome!