What season do mangosteens ripen? An introduction to the latest time they hit the market
Mangosteens generally ripen from May to September. When selecting them, choose medium-to-small ones. A fresh mangosteen has a green stem end and a shell that feels fairly soft and springy when squeezed. Once opened, the flesh inside is pure white. If you can lightly pinch the shell between your thumb and index finger and leave a shallow fingernail mark, it means the fruit is ripe. If the shell is as hard as stone, it is most likely no longer edible. If there is a lot of yellow juice at the stem end, decide not to buy it. Look at how many segments there are at the bottom of the mangosteen; that is how many segments of flesh are inside.
The peak ripening season for mangosteens is generally May and June. Most mangosteens on the market are imported. They originated in the Malay Peninsula and the Malay Archipelago, and are cultivated in relatively large amounts in Southeast Asian regions such as Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines and Myanmar.
The mangosteen shell is thick, hard and purple, while the flesh is snowy white, tender and soft, sweet with a slight tartness, and very delicious. If you do not like durian and eat only mangosteens, that is likewise a fine fruit. In hot Thailand, the mangosteen season happens to coincide with the hottest summer, and eating more mangosteens will also greatly help you reduce internal heat and refresh yourself with something cool and tasty.
The mangosteen shell tends to dry out when exposed to air, so it is best to buy only as much as you will eat. For storage, refrigeration is the main method; store them in the refrigerator. Usually after five days the flavor steadily declines, and they can be stored for ten days at most.
The mangosteen is a uniquely gifted fruit: its shell is thick, so the flesh is relatively unlikely to be damaged, and the tree can live for more than seventy years. The cost of planting is not high either, but it must be grown for seven or eight years before it can be harvested. This is unlike rambutan, which bears fruit after only three or four years, or durian, which can be sold after five years. Mangosteens produced in Rayong Province, Thailand, are of good quality.