Harvesting and Storing Mangoes

According to the University of the Virgin Islands, most mango "varieties can be picked several days before ripening and be of good quality. Julie mango must be picked very close to ripening for best quality so that a particular tree should be harvested over a 2-3 day interval. Fruits should be hand-picked and handled gently at all times to avoid bruising. Long handled bags can be used to pick fruits high up on trees. After picking, fruits should be packed in rigid 30 lb. containers (wood or plastic) that are lined with a soft material such as straw or polyfoam. Anthracnose spot- ting of ripe fruits can occur and this renders fruits unsightly and unsalable. This problem can be reduced or eliminated by hot water treatment of fruits after harvesting, at a temperature of 124º to 125ºF (51º to 51.5ºC) for 15 minutes. The temperature and timing for this treatment are critical. If exceeded, fruit injury will result but treatment is also ineffective if the correct temperature and time are not observed. Recent research at UVI Agricultural Experiment Station (AES) indicates that foliar sprays of 4-6% KNO3 applied from September-November before flowering can produce more uniform flowering and fruiting."

Mango Storage
"Mangoes may be cold stored before ripening at 50ºF (10ºC) and after ripening from 45º to 50ºF (7.2º to 10ºC). Below these temperatures chilling effects appear which include failure to ripen properly, anthracnose spotting and development of other skin blemishes."
 

Source: University of the Virgin Islands, "Growing Mangoes", Gardener Factsheet, No. 21, July 1997.