If you go Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden’s 20th annual International Mango Festival is Saturday and Sunday at 10901 Old Cutler Rd., Coral Gables. Admission is $25, $18 for seniors, $12 for children. Tickets are $125 ($100 members) for the 11 a.m. mango brunch; fairchildgarden.org, 305-667-1651, ext. 3344.

Maximizing mangoes By now you’ve probably eaten plenty of fresh mangoes but your trees are still producing. So we asked chefs Allen Susser and Kareem Anguin as well as Carlos Balerdi, a retired emeritus professor at the University of Florida who works with fruit crops, to share their tips for enjoying the bounty. Pick it right: Whether picking your mangoes from the tree or the produce department of the supermarket, you can’t tell if a mango is ripe just by looking at it, Susser says. Different varieties take on different colors at maturity. But you know the fruit is ripe when its changes color and its tip becomes rounded, explains Balerdi. For example, a Kitt mango is shaped like a fish when it first grows on the tree. But with time it widens at the equator and becomes more rounded, he says. A yellow mango turns a brighter canary yellow. A red mango such as the Tommy Atkins becomes richer orange red with yellow spots and the Haden turns a richer cherry red. “What happens is the shoulders of the fruit begin to enrich with color,” Susser says. Really ripe: Mangoes ripen from the seed out. So store-bought mangoes will require two days at room temperature to fully ripen. Those picked from the tree may require three to five days, Susser says. The ripened mango should be firm but not hard, Anguin says. “You want it sweet and firm. You don’t want it to over-ripen so it turns black.” Don’t let them drop: When they fall from the tree mangoes bruise and become acidic at the place they hit the ground, Balerdi says. Go green: “There’s nothing wrong with a green mango,” Susser says. He likes to use them in slaws and simmered dishes such as curries. “When I say green it doesn’t have to be stark green but can be a nice hard mango,” he says. These green fruits remind Susser of tart apples. He often uses them with seafood. “Their bit of sharpness and acid blends well in fish or scallop dishes,” he says. When using in slaws, he salts the grated green fruit and lets it sit for a short time to help it soften. Then he mixes in the other ingredients. “Salt and spices are wonderful elements to use with green mango,” he says. He recommends you buy or pick a number of mangoes on the same day. Use the green ones now and let the others ripen so you can enjoy their “tropical ambrosia.” Preserving: You can freeze mangoes, says Balerdi. Either puree them or chop them and put them in small freezer bags so you can defrost a little at a time. Susser suggests you use the frozen mango to make smoothies. Just add the still-frozen fruit to the blender with a banana and some orange juice. Puree away for a chilled treat. Or you can use the diced mango in baking or cooking. Deborah S. Hartz-Seeley

Salad My Favorite Black Bean and Mango Salad Choose a firm, ripe mango for this salad so it holds its shape. 2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed 1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and diced 3 scallions, white bulb and 3 inches of green, sliced 2 plum tomatoes, chopped 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice 5 tablespoons chopped cilantro 1 teaspoon coarse-ground pepper 3/4 teaspoon salt 1 firm but ripe mango, peeled, seeded and chopped (about 1 ¼ cups chopped) Combine all ingredients in a nonreactive bowl. Toss to combine. Cover and let sit at room temperature at least 1 hour before serving. Gently toss right before serving. Makes about 7 cups. Source: Adapted from “The New Basics” by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins (Workman, 1989). Per cup: 203 calories (47 percent from fat), 11.8 g fat (1.6 g saturated, 8.5 g monounsaturated), 0 cholesterol, 5.6 g protein, 24.3 g carbohydrates, 7.3 g fiber, 712 mg sodium.

Frosting Sweet Curry Frosting The curry flavor is gentle but it adds vivid color to this cream cheese frosting that melds perfectly with Chef Allen’s mango cake (see recipe). If you don’t like curry flavor, you can omit the spice and add 1 teaspoon vanilla. 4 ounces cream cheese, softened 4 tablespoons (2 ounces) butter, softened 2 teaspoons Madras curry powder 2 cups confectioners’ sugar With an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth and well combined. With the mixer on low speed, add curry powder and then the confectioners’ sugar, 1 cup at a time, mixing until smooth and creamy. Makes about 1 cup. Per tablespoon: 99 calories (48 percent from fat), 5.3 g fat (3.2 g saturated, 1.3 g monounsaturated), 15 mg cholesterol, 0.5 g protein, 12.9 g carbohydrates, 0 fiber, 48 mg sodium.

Soup Caribbean Mango Gazpacho Chef Kareem Anguin suggests a garnish of additional chopped cucumber and mango. His recipe calls for half a Scotch bonnet pepper, but although we like our food hot, we found that a bit much. We’ve cut it back, but feel free to add more to taste. 1 firm, ripe mango, peeled, seeded and chopped 2 small tomatoes, chopped 1 seedless cucumber, peeled and chopped 1 small red bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped 1/8 seeded Scotch bonnet pepper, minced 1 small celery rib, chopped 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1 1/2 teaspoons yuzu, sour orange or lime juice 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro 1 1/2 teaspoons honey 1 1/2 teaspoons sherry vinegar 1 cup orange juice 1 garlic clove, chopped Salt and fresh-ground pepper, to taste Place mango, tomato, cucumber, bell pepper, Scotch bonnet pepper and celery in a nonreactive bowl with olive oil and citrus juice. Set aside about 15 minutes. Place marinated vegetables with any liquid in a blender or food processor. Add cilantro, honey, sherry vinegar, orange juice and garlic. Process to preferred consistency. Pour into a nonreactive bowl and stir in salt and pepper. Cover and chill 2 to 3 hours before serving. Makes about 5 1/2 cups. Source: Adapted from executive chef Kareem Anguin of The Oceanaire Seafood Room in Miami. Per 1/2 cup: 46 calories (26 percent from fat), 1.4 g fat (0.2 g saturated, 0.9 g monounsaturated), 0 cholesterol, 0.8 g protein, 8.4 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, 5 mg sodium.

More information Dessert Chef Allen’s Mango Cake with Sweet Curry Frosting The mangoes in this recipe are used in two forms. Choose a very ripe one for the puree and a firmer but still ripe one to chop. Skip the frosting if you wish and serve the cake with ice cream or whipped cream. 1/4 cup butter, at room temperature 3/4 cup sugar 1 cup pureed mango 1 egg, lightly beaten 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 2 tablespoons lime juice 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger 1 1/2 cups flour 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1 cup diced mango 1 cup chopped walnuts Sweet Curry Frosting, optional (see recipe) Heat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan with vegetable oil spray. With an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and sugar until light. Add mango puree, egg, vanilla, lime juice and ginger. Mix to combine. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon. Add the flour mixture to the mango mixture, stirring until just smooth. Fold in the diced mango and walnuts. Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Bake 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan 10 minutes before removing the cake and placing it on a wire rack to cool completely. Allow to cool completely before frosting. Makes 10 servings. Per serving (without icing): 283 calories, 39 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 5 g protein, 13 g fat (4 g saturated fat), 31 mg cholesterol, 126 mg sodium.