“Aussie Mangoes mean summer, the feeling of sunshine and the spray from the garden hose on your skin, kids laughing, the smell of barbeques, long light evenings serenaded by kookaburras and cicadas. The first bite of a mango that sends it’s sweet, sticky juice running down your face.”

Thus goes the opening message on the home page of the Australian Mangoes webpage … Frankly, I just couldn’t have said it better. 

replica rolex developed control located in workplace church.

Mangoes (Mangifera indica) are predominantly grown in the Northern Territory and Queensland which together produce around 95% of the total national crop.  Mango varieties are grown for the domestic and export markets, and, with an average yield over the last five years of about 60,000 tonnes, their annual farm-gate GVP is approximately $180 million.  Of course seasonal fluctuations and the instability of the fruit itself can impact those numbers.

The harvest begins in the NT and northern WA in September where Kensington Pride and CalypsoTM are the early but long-producing varieties. The majority of the flowering has begun in the Darwin region, with some fruit already set. There are green eating varieties and increasing volumes of early season KPs being sent to market.

The season in Queensland’s dry tropics (Townsville/Burdekin/Bowen) begins around mid-November with R2E2 and Honey GoldTM the on the menu.

Growers are still assessing frost damage in Dimbulah with the main harvest still expected to commence early December.  Central Queensland, SE Queensland and northern NSW are on track to begin their harvests in late December/January.

Mangoes are generally harvested in a mature, but still firm, green state. Ethylene gas can be used to trigger ripening of the fruit, bringing on uniform colouring and ripening.  Ripened fruit has a shorter storage life and will need to move quickly through the market chain.

Picking mangoes can be tricky.  Mango Sapburn occurs when the sap that first squirts from the fruit at de-stemming comes into contact with the skin. It is worst in Kensington Pride but all newcomers to the harvest should wear the proper protective equipment.

Honey GoldTM at Pinata Farms Qld
Some get creative with picking devices
Mangoes in a packing shed in Mareeba
(Images courtesy of ABC)

So, with a good season predicted mangoes should be in plentiful supply throughout the coming warmer weather, so I offer up some ideas for your perfect Spring/Summer lunch from the Australian Mangoes website:

Firstly, learn how to judge ripeness so you can always enjoy a perfect mango…

Mango, Ginger and Lime Mocktail  (I would add a small shot of vodka or coconut liquer 😉

Grilled King Prawns with Mango, Coconut and Lime

Mango Eton Mess

All recipes:  https://mangoes.net.au/