Mangoes in Lime Syrup
- Servings: Makes about 4 cups of fruit.
In New York City, when piles of yellow mangoes first appear at our sidewalk fruit markets, we know that spring has arrived. But in much of the country it's a tropical treat year-round.
I'll concede that my favorite way to eat a mango is alone in the kitchen, leaning over the sink as the juice drips down my arm as I wrestle the last bits of fruit off of the large pit. But the rest of the time, I love it cut into thin slices and lightly poached in sweet, tangy lime syrup. Once chilled the mango becomes the perfect topping to coconut sorbet or vanilla ice cream. Or mashed into smaller pieces and stirred into my breakfast yogurt.
Makes about 4 cups of fruit (one cup per mango).
Ingredients
- 4 ripe mangoes
- 3 cups water
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 lime -- zest removed with a microplane zester and then juiced to make about 2 tablespoons lime juice and 1 heaping teaspoon lime zest
- Juice from 1/2 large lemon (about 2 tablespoons)
- 1 cinnamon stick
Directions
- Peel the mangoes and working around the thick inner pit, cut off the fruit and slice into 1/2-inch long pieces.
- In a saucepan combine the water, sugar, lime zest, lime juice, lemon juice, and cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil, stirring so that the sugar dissolves. Reduce to a robust simmer and cook until the liquid reduced by half to make syrup.
- Remove from the heat and add the slices of mango. Let cool to room temperature and then refrigerate.
- Use as a topping for sorbet or ice cream, with pound cake, or with plain or vanilla yogurt.
