Mangoes- How do you cut yours?

It’s National Mango Week this week and we’ve been racking our brains to work out what exciting mango stories we should blog about.  We thought about facts, news articles and even recipes but then it occurred to us that some of us actually have no clue how to cut a mango properly.  Us Britons are particular culprits of this, mainly because the mango isn’t a native fruit of the UK.  Let’s face it, the country isn’t warm enough to grow any exotic fruits!

Our resident intern, Anissa, lives in Toulouse so she is more than used to cutting and eating mangoes.  She has therefore written up a failsafe method of how to cut a mango properly.  She’s even provided some top tips at the bottom.   It’s so foolproof even the bosses could do it.  If all else fails, however, just tuck into some Mango Simply Nectar. It’s made from mango pulp and contains no refined sugars or pesticides so is pretty much just like eating the fruit anyway.

Now, go get that mango and get stuck in.

Instructions

1. Cut off the mango

Placing your fingers at the top of the mango, hold the fruit upright on a chopping board. Take a knife and place it at the top of the mango.  The next step is to cut two large pieces of mango from either side of the stone, which sits in the middle of the fruit.  Cut down one side of the mango going close to the stone but avoiding it. If you hit the stone remove the knife and try again.  Turn the mango and cut the other side so you get two large pieces of mango.

2. Dice the mango

Take one of the pieces of mango in your hand or place skin down on the chipping board. Using a small knife, score the mango vertically and horizontally to make small cubes. Do not cut through the skin.  Repeat with the other piece of mango.

3. Turn the mango inside out

Turn the pieces of mango over and gently press on the skin to turn it inside out.  The small cubes should pop out but will still be attached to the skin.  Use your knife or your fingers to detach the small mango cubes and put into a bowl. Repeat with the other half of the mango.

4. Trim fruit from the stone

Place the remaining part of the mango (the stone) on the chopping board and use a knife to slice of any skin.  Next, use a knife or your fingers to remove any remaining flesh still clinging to the stone.

5. Decoration

If you don’t want to waste the skin you can use it for decoration purposes when serving the mango. Cut the skin into any shape you want!

6. BON APPETIT ! :) 

Important tips to remember when cutting mangoes:

• The flesh can be very slippery. Be careful not to cut yourself in the process of cutting the zig-zag lines or peeling the mango itself
• The flesh nearest the stone is the stringiest and least pleasant to eat
• If you can't stand sticky fruit juice running down your chin, you should definitely cut the mango into small bite size pieces
• If you are allergic to latex, poison ivy, or cashews you may have a reaction to mango, too, through cross-reactivity. Many people report an allergy only when contacting the skin of the mango. To prevent this, wash your hands with soap after peeling the mango but before eating it. For more information, search the Internet with the key words "mango" and "allergic."
• Mango juice will leave messy stains on clothes and so be careful.

Simply mango,

Simply Nectar

What On Earth's recycled kitchen

As we share the office with What On Earth we thought we'd let you know what they've been up to.  They're an inspirational bunch because they've set themselves the challenge of building a kitchen out of recycled and re-engineered materials. Both us and What On Earth are advocates of being environmentally friendly, both in and out of work, so we think it only right that the ethos should be followed throughout all business developments.

Work on the kitchen got underway at the beginning of June and it is all coming along nicely. The kitchen is being developed in a unit on our Battersea based business park – just across the forecourt from the current What On Earth kitchen in fact. All the materials being used to build the kitchen have had a previous life elsewhere, and now they are being given a new lease of life. Examples of the recycled materials include:

• Re-engineered racking bars are being used to form the skeleton of the kitchen 
•  The staffroom is made from recycled wood panels
• The windows, doors and door frames are recycled from an old office building
• An unused loading door hatch is being utilised
• Old baking trays are being used as vents
• An old refrigeration evaporator is being used in a fan unit to circulate air around the kitchen

By using these materials What On Earth is having a positive impact on both the environment and our budget – the company is reducing waste, increasing sustainability and saving essential cash.  They will ensure that all the recycled materials conform to health and safety rules too - they will clad them all in white fireproof, food safe plastic.

The recycled materials have been hunted down by eco hero, Rolf. He has spent a lot of time traipsing around London looking for bits to use, but in all honesty he’s absolutely loved this – he’s been in his element. He loves doing his bit to save the world and all of this good work means he’s pretty much ready to don a cape, mask and a pair of tights. Perhaps not the most pretty sight (sory Rolf!) but hey, he would still wear his costume with pride.

Developing the kitchen using recycled materials means What On Earth is able to save money that can be spent elsewhere. To be more specific, they are spending the money on energy efficient equipment for the kitchen – i.e. equipment that does its bit to save the environment. By installing this machinery they are avoiding unnecessary energy waste. Reducing energy usage can translate to significant cost savings. They can reduce maintenance costs on equipment and have lower running expenses.  Also, the energy efficient equipment has a longer lifespan and can help create better and consistent food quality and less food spoilage.  The environmental benefits of resource conservation and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions are also substantial, reducing the company’s impact on the environment. All these savings allow What On Earth to reduce labour costs, thereby meaning they can reduce the prices of their products. See – everybody benefits from the new kitchen! Among the new equipment will be new ovens and pizza presses. As a result of this What On Earth are going to look at re-introducing chilled organic pizzas. Hurrah!  We like the sound of that.

The new kitchen is to be completed and fully functioning by the end of June so we will post updated photos next month. Eeeek, exciting!

Simply recycled,

Simply Nectar

Simply Nectar available at Cowdray Farm

Simply Nectar is starting to get around a bit….and no, not in that way all you naughty minded people.

After our appearance on a few websites and in a few magazines/papers lately e.g. Evening Standard, Eat Sleep Drink Magazine, Functional Food & Drink Magazine…(not to name drop of course) our drinks are becoming a little more well known.  As a result Simply Nectar is now being sold in a variety of new places – and we’re very proud of each and every one of them.

The latest addition to the store listings is Cowdray Farm Shop.  This quaint store is on the grounds of the 16,500 acre Cowdray Estate in Midhurst, West Sussex, at the heart of the South Downs National Park.  A lot of the produce sold in both the Cowdray Farm store and the Cowdray Farm Café is supplied by the 4,ooo acre Cowdray Home Farm, most of which is fully converted organic land.  Produce that is taken from the farm includes dairy, prize winning beef and lamb, potatoes, eggs, wheat, oats and barley.  The Estate also provides the store and café with award winning venison and organically grown vegetables.  

In addition to the produce taken from the Cowdray Estate, the farm shop also sells products from organic and/or ethical producers such as ourselves.  The Simply Nectar drinks are free from all colours, pesticides and refined sugars so they fit in very well on the shop shelves.  They are also ethically produced and are ideal for Cowdray Farm Store customers.

We popped down to Cowdray Farm the other week to see the types of products on offer there.  We were so blown away by the beauty of the estate and the shop that we took some photos.

If you haven’t been to the Cowdray Estate we recommend that you get down there and have a look. While there you should also quench your thirst with some Simply Nectar – obviously :-)

Simply Cowdray Farm Store,

Simply Nectar