Mango Ripening Tips

Maturity assessment
Throughout the ripening process, it is crucial to assess the internal maturity level of the mangos. While external color may give some indication of ripening, the measurement of other maturity indices like pulp firmness and SSC (Soluble Solids Content - BRIX) is key. The US National Mango Board (NMB) has a poster for assisting in this. Here are links to a well-known penetrometers and refractometers to make sure the fruit has the appropriate firmness and SSC content.

Type of ripening rooms
Forced air ripening systems are the best to use to have more consistent results and longer shelf life after the ethylene treatment. Getting the heat out of the mango is key to have better mangos when conditioning with ethylene.

Warm up period and ethylene application
Before ripening begins, it is vital that the fruit pulp temperatures are raised to 62 to 68°F (16.7 to 20°C). After this warming period in which the fruit pulp temperature stabilizes, apply 100-150 ppm ethylene for approximately 48 hours. Actual time of exposure to ethylene is determined by the maturity of the fruit, the time of year, country of origin and variety of mango.

Why ethylene with mangos?
Ethylene is a naturally occurring plant hormone that converts starch to sugar in the climacteric fruit group. In natural conditions, bananas and mangos give off a low amount of ethylene compared to apples, pears, and avocados at 68°F. This is the reason we help the fruit by supplying ethylene in the generator, creating better ripening and uniformity.

Humidity is very important, and it should be maintained at 90-95%.

Carbon dioxide
As with ripening of avocados, bananas, tomatoes, and other fruits, CO2 will build up during ripening. If no automatic ventilation system is in place, then be sure to vent the room approximately every 12 hours by opening the doors for 20 minutes even while applying ethylene. The actual CO2 level must be kept below 1% for proper ripening.

Post-ethylene application / Storage Temperatures
After ethylene application, keep pulp temperature at 62 to 68°F (16.7 to 20°C) until the desired level of ripeness is attained (as determined by fruit pressure testing). Ripening and softening of the mango flesh will continue at a fairly consistent rate once the mangos have received the ethylene treatment (best for food service and processors, for retail, cool down as described next).

To help preserve shelf life, for all varieties except Kent and Honey, store ripened fruit at 50°F (10°C) in a high humidity environment and ship to final destination soon. To avoid chill damage on Kent and Honey / Ataulfo, do not store below 54°F (12.2°C).

For more information on mangos and other fruits, please visit the web site of UC Davis Postharvest Technology Center. A great resource for any Fruit Ripener is a publication from UC Davis entitled “Fruit Ripening & Ethylene Management.” Another resource is the maturity poster from the US National Mango Board.

These recommendations were amassed from a diverse number of sources for use by clients of Catalytic Generators, LLC. While we have made great effort to provide accurate and current ripening techniques, Catalytic Generators makes no warranties regarding these recommendations or the applicability of such information to a particular ripening operation. Please note that we do not provide these recommendations as a replacement for technical ripening experts; if having ripening problems or starting a ripening program, we suggest that professionals be consulted.