There are those times, whether you call them “Aha Moments!” or just slap yourself firmly in the forehead, that something absurdly simple changes how you do things forever. These fermented mangoes are the result of one of those moments.
I’ve been fermenting things for years and have explored many different methods and types of fermentation. However my lacto-ferments have almost always been in brine or honey. How else do you easily create the anaerobic environment that is required? Well, I don’t think I got more than a few pages into the new Noma book, when I saw vacuum packed goodies fermenting away with little to no liquid. This seems obvious in hindsight, and I already have the equipment for cooking sous vide.
My first attempt was these delicious mango chunks. Here’s what I did:
Stuff
- 4 ripe mangoes
- non-iodized salt
- 2 tbsp of whey or other starter (optional)
- a vacuum sealer and required bags
- a bowl
The process
- Cut the flesh of the mangoes into 2-3cm (1 inch) cubes.
- Weigh the mangoes.
- Toss the mangoes with 2% of their weight in salt and the starter if using. I had just over 1kg (1000g) of mango flesh and therefore used 22g of salt.
- Place half the mangoes in a vacuum bag, ensuring a little space between chunks, and seal. Make sure to leave a bit of head room in the bag as this will allow you to seal it again if you ever need to open it.
- Repeat with the other half in a separate bag.
- Wait 3-5 days. When they are fermented to your taste, store them in the fridge or use immediately.
Enjoy!