How to choose fresh and delicious mangosteen? What kind of mangosteen is delicious?

Mangosteen contains a special substance that has the effect of reducing dryness, cooling and relieving heat. People who are prone to getting angry on weekdays can eat more of it. It is as famous as durian and is known as the "Queen of Fruits". Durian and mangosteen are called husband and wife fruits. So, what kind of mangosteen is delicious and how to choose mangosteen? Below, let's take a look at the relevant knowledge about how to choose mangosteen with the editor of the Knowledge Museum.

How to choose mangosteen

1. Look at the color : choose those with dark purple color, smooth shell, fresh color, soft and elastic shell, and green fruit stem, which are generally better.

2. Look at the fruit stem : The fruit stem is the place where the mangosteen fruit is connected to the mangosteen branch. The greener the color, the fresher it is. If the color turns brown or black, it means that the mangosteen has been stored for too long and may have rotted and deteriorated.

3. Pinch the shell : The shell should be relatively soft and elastic, and it should recover quickly after a slight pressure, indicating that it is fresh. If it is too hard and cannot be pinched, it is too old or dried, and is no longer fresh. If it is too soft, it may have been soaked or rotted.

4. Look at the sepals : This is the "butt" of mangosteen. Theoretically, there are usually 4-8 sepals. The number of sepals indicates the number of lobes of flesh, but there are exceptions. And it is not necessarily the case that the more sepals, the better. As long as it is fresh, it is delicious whether it is sour or sweet.

5. Weigh the weight : If there are two pieces of similar size, choose the heavier one. It means it has more moisture and is fresh. The lighter one may have been dried and is not fresh.

Things to note when buying mangosteen

No matter how much the stall owner emphasizes that it does not affect the quality of the flesh, you should be careful when buying mangosteen with a hard shell. The hardening of the shell is enough to show that the mangosteen is "old and faded".

From an anatomical point of view, the mangosteen shell is a complete peel, which is equivalent to the "skin and flesh" of apples. The edible "flesh" of mangosteen is actually some appendages (aril) wrapped around the seeds. When mangosteen is still on the tree, the shell and flesh receive water from the tree. Once it is taken down from the tree, it is like two brothers who have separated and each takes care of their own business.

The shell of mangosteen may look thick, but it is actually loose in texture. The pores densely distributed in it allow the water to quickly be lost to the air. More importantly, the shell is not so tightly combined with the flesh. When the shell loses water (the most obvious feature is that the shell becomes hard), the flesh does not do anything. However, the lips and teeth are interdependent, and the hard shell after dehydration will not protect the "content" inside like a walnut shell. Air rushes in from the gaps above, and the mangosteen fruit likes to breathe heavily (respiration, consuming sugar, and producing acids, aldehydes and other substances that affect the taste), so the process of deterioration is very fast. In addition, the pectinase in the mangosteen flesh will destroy the pectin that maintains the shape of the flesh. After picking, the pectinase starts to work hard and its activity gradually increases. Add in external oxygen until the flesh turns yellow and rusty red, making it impossible to swallow.

If you want to keep mangosteen fresh for a few more days, low temperature is indispensable: low temperature can reduce the loss of water in the shell, reduce the respiration of the fruit, and of course reduce the activity of pectinase. In addition, sealing as much as possible to avoid oxygen invasion is also a key to preservation. In general, putting mangosteen in a sealed bag and putting it in the refrigerator can extend the enjoyment time.