Kirbie's Cravings

Mangosteens

I first found fresh mangosteens while shopping at SF Supermarket. However, on a recent trip to Ranch 99, I was delighted to find mangosteens being sold as well! 

The price was definitely steep ($6.99/lb!), but since I'm shopping for one, I feel like I can splurge sometimes.  And I really love my tropical fruits. 

The mangosteens were prepackaged in these yellow nets.  So I couldn't buy less even if I wanted to.

When I got home, I was annoyed to find that the shell was really hard to open.  While mangosteens have a hard exterior, freshly ripe ones have a shell that can easily be peeled with the help of a knife.  The shell becomes hard when they have been sitting around for a long time.  These obviously were old mangosteens, and the shell was almost impossibly hard to cut. 

What makes it harder is that you don't want to cut all the way through because in the middle is the fruit.  And you don't want to cut through the flesh of the fruit because that ruins how pretty the mangosteen is.  Inside is a white, fleshy fruit that looks like a flower.  The fruit is separated into sections, much like an orange.

The bottom of the mangosteen shell has a flower petal design as well.  I read online that the number of petals on the bottom of the shell is the number of petals you get inside.  I haven't tested this out yet though.

The fruit itself is a soft, juicy flesh.  It is reminiscent of very ripe white peaches.  Some of the larger sections may have a giant seed, but usually you'll only find one seed in an entire mangosteen, or sometimes none.

I love mangosteens, but I am annoyed that Ranch 99 was selling old ones for so expensive.  Next time I'll go back to SF Supermarket to get mine.

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10 comments on “Mangosteens”

  1. I LOVE mangosteens as well.

    I only get to eat them while I’m visiting family in Thailand because the ones I find around here are the canned variety…and those obviously can’t hold a candle to the fresh ones!

    • I’ve been able to find the fresh ones at the small Vietnamese fruit stores in Orange County (Westminster area) as well as the Fruit Shop in San Diego. Delicious but so expensive!

  2. I can’t believe you didn’t try them in Thailand! I bet they were a lot cheaper there..At Ranch, they are kind of hidden. It’s not with the majority of fruits. It’s at the far end, where the green vegetables are and it’s on the shelf above the vegetables.

  3. I’ve never tasted Mangosteen! I’ve been to thailand twice too! I love the smell thou. And i don’t think i’ve seen them at 99Ranch. Will have to look for them!
    Nice post!

  4. That is interesting information about the hot and cold. Thanks!

  5. I want to go to Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines, or wherever else they have mangosteens too. So yummy!

  6. I’ve never tried pressing the petal shape. But you still need a knife to cut it open right?

  7. I love mangosteen too. They’re wonderful! Thais love to eat them after eating Durian because durian makes the body hot while mangosteen cools it off.
    It’s true that the number of petals at the bottom of the shell designates the number of petals inside.
    Come to Thailand during mangosteen season (around May to September ) and you won’t believe how cheap you can get them there!

  8. I love mangosteen!!!!! and it hard to fine them here in Houston freash… i would love to go back to Viet Nam just for the fruits!

  9. if you press that lovely petal shape on the bottom of the fruit, it will pop the whole thing right out. No need for a knife!