Part 1 of our Mango Series
Imagine crunchy chips that have next to nothing calories, taste like green mango, and actually help you lose weight. Meet the Amazing Mango Bark! They are dehydrated mango peels that become little crunchy miracles that you can reach for as a snack.
It tastes like fresh mango, with a little caramelized honey. They are super crunchy with a faint hint of tannins. Perfect for a snack or replacing potato chips. And they are a breeze to make.
Not to mention, that’s right, Vegan.
As part of our series on Mango, we’re using every part of the fruit to make different dishes, both sweet and savory to maximize the uses of this awesome fruit.
But first:
A little Mango Basics:
The mango (mangifera indica) is a drupe fruit (leathery skin with flesh and stone pit inside). The skin, called endocarp, is leathery, contains some of the nutrients that aren’t as concentrated in the flesh; particularly Beta-Carotene, Selenium, and Vitamin E which help fight against Heart Disease.
The flesh is considered a nutrient dense food that provides ample benefits through anti inflammatory, antioxidants, and anti cancer properties.
The Endocarp: the stone, houses a single seed (which is edible) and very bitter when eaten raw. However, it can be cooked and roasted like a cashew seed.
Mango Bark and why
After the Mango Festival, we had an enormous quantities of leftover mangoes to use, and we thought it would be helpful to really develop recipes and ideas that maximize each part of the fruit so that nothing goes to waste.
Especially in Florida, and in other mango producing regions, between May and July, its mango season. And many Floridians that have mango trees in their backyard end up giving away bagloads of fruit because they can only eat so much. Currently this creates a lot of waste of product that can be utilized and has tons of health benefits.
Making it:
Preheat your oven to 200 degrees F and peel mangoes. Its best to place them on a sheet pan with a silpat as they wont stick. Place them in the oven for 3 hours or until the peels are dry and crunchy.
The best part:
Remember I mentioned the peels helps you lose weight? They do! According to researchers, red mango peels contain a compound called Resveratrol which helps prevent the formation of adipose tissue. So these chips are worth the effort to make, and make an awesome snack in the process.
Varieties:
We made these chips with Haitian, Alphonse, Keitt mangoes and Wild Mango. There was no significant difference in flavor between them with the exception of wild mango, which carried a muskier, funky, flavor similar to shallots and garlic.
Note: only use from Organic Mangoes: pesticides can be an issue and its best to avoid them.
Tools:
If you dont have one, I really recommend this silpat for dehydration. At less than $10 for 2, its the best deal I’ve seen on Amazon.
This aluminum half-sheet pan is slightly bigger than home cookie sheets. The silpats above are designed to fit these dimensions without bending. They are sturdier than cookie sheets and designed for commercial use, but come in very handy in a home because of their standardized size.
Amazing Mango Bark
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Prep Time: 2 min -
Cook Time: 2 hours
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Total Time: 2 hours
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Yield: 30 Pieces -
Category: Snack -
Method: Dehydration -
Cuisine: American
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Pin RecipeDescription
Imagine crunchy chips that have next to nothing calories, taste like green mango, and actually help you lose weight. Meet the Amazing Mango Bark! They are dehydrated mango peels that become little crunchy miracles that you can reach for as a snack.
Ingredients
Peel from 1 Mango
Instructions
Preheat oven to 200 degrees F
Place mango peel on half sheet pan with parchment paper or silpat (preferred) and dehydrate for 2 hours or until peel is crunchy and dry.
Notes
Only use organic mangoes to avoid dealing with pesticides that may be found on the skins.
We found non-serrated vegetable peelers give you the cleanest cuts. Serrated peelers tore through the skin, taking along mango fibers with them.
Half-sheet pans and silpats work best when dehydrating in the oven. The peels do not stick to the silicone mat and they are very easy to remove. With parchment paper you run the risk of getting paper stuck to the peels.
Avoid using over ripe or rotting peels, they will not cut clean and wont be useable for bark. Best to use red, ripe mangoes.
Keywords: Mango peel
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