Ask 100 people in the United States what a mangosteen is and you’ll probably get a lot of confused looks. The mangosteen has only been legal to import since 2007 and it takes a while for a fruit of this caliber of antioxidant goodness to get around to every market. Originally found on some of the islands of Indonesia, the mangosteen has been found in various markets in South East Asia for years.

 

                A mangosteen is any one of three fruit producing evergreen trees. The fruit from a mangosteen is said to be rich in antioxidants and very delicious. The most commonly known mangosteen is the Purple mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana).

 

                The inside of the mangosteen fruit is very juicy and sweet, but one must be careful when cutting the rind. If the juices from the rind are at all mixed with the center of the fruit it could make the fruit bitter and inedible.

 

                If you are ever trolling around the tropical forests of Indonesia and have good fortune to find a mangosteen tree, you can take in this good fortune by partaking of the mangosteen. The edible bits will be surrounded by the bitter rind, but fresh on the vine the rind will be soft, squeeze the fruit carefully at one end to force the edible bits out of the fruit when the rind breaks.

 

                Considering mangosteens have the protective rind around them, they can be kept in open air for a few days at a time and still keep their sweetness. To extend the storage of mangosteens, keep them in a refrigerated area. However, if you have been storing the mangosteens, a knife is almost essential in opening and enjoying them.

 

                Be careful when you cut the fruit. The fruit will be very fragile and mixing the rind with the meat of the fruit could happen if you aren’t careful. Use a thin, sharp, serrated knife to cut and not smash the fruit.

 

                Cited: http://www.mangosteen.com/