I was cutting up a mango, when I noticed some black threads inside.
What are those?
They are quite tough, brown-black, about an inch long (2.5 cm):
Best Answer
It's an indication that the fruit has started to rot:
When dark spots start appearing on the side of a mango, it's starting to rot. A mango can rot from the pit, the skin, or from the non-stem end. Any black fibers also indicate that the fruit has started to rot, and at that point, you need to toss it into the trash.
Edit: Yes, the above is probably being overcautious in stating “any black fibers? → trash!” It's from a “Dummies” book after all. ;) I couldn't really find another good reference. But I'm sure you can make the distinction between a piece of fruit that has a small brown spot and one that's black and shriveled. Still, the color of the fibers is a result of the late ripening/rotting process of the mango, rather than a result of an earlier stage in its growth. But having eaten this mango with the one, tiny black fiber shown in her picture, I don't really expect to read Mien's obituary on this site tomorrow. ;)
I haven't tried this before but I found this youtube video that shows you how. Cut into the mango, starting where the stem was and going around the long way, just in to the pit. Reach in with a spoon and scoop around the pit, separating one half of the mango from the pit. Then scoop the pit out of the other side.
The vitamin loss is due primarily to the puree'ing. The viramin A in mangoes comes from beta-carotene, and beta-carotene breaks down easily due to oxidation. On a similar note, I've seen recommendations that carrots (another good source of beta-carotene) not be chopped into small pieces before canning to preserve their vitamin content.
Lots of vitamins are also destroyed by the heat of canning, but beta-carotene is not as susceptible to this problem because it is fat soluble.
Best Answer
It's an indication that the fruit has started to rot:
Edit: Yes, the above is probably being overcautious in stating “any black fibers? → trash!” It's from a “Dummies” book after all. ;) I couldn't really find another good reference. But I'm sure you can make the distinction between a piece of fruit that has a small brown spot and one that's black and shriveled. Still, the color of the fibers is a result of the late ripening/rotting process of the mango, rather than a result of an earlier stage in its growth. But having eaten this mango with the one, tiny black fiber shown in her picture, I don't really expect to read Mien's obituary on this site tomorrow. ;)