How Do You Ripen Mangoes Overnight?

The best way to ripen a mango overnight is by dunking it in absorbent food materials like rice or popcorn kernels. Alternatively, keep the mango in a cardboard box or wrap it in a paper bag overnight.

If you’re in more of a hurry, the microwave method could work, depending on how ripe the mango already is.

However, not all of these fast mango ripening methods may be applicable. So, continue reading to learn different ways to ripen a mango faster and make a better decision.

6 Methods to Ripen Mangoes Overnight

Patience is a crucial requirement for ripening that mango. If you can’t wait for your mangoes to ripen, below are six other methods to try.

Dunk in Rice/Popcorn Kernels

Mangoes release ethylene gas under heat, causing it to ripen. Covering up your mango in a large bowl of rice or popcorn kernels will make the mango release ethylene faster, causing it to ripen quickly.

Ensure you check the mango regularly (2-3 hours apart), as this method can ripen a mango in 6-12 hours. Some mangoes might take a day or two under this process, but regular checking helps to avoid over-ripening. Unless that’s what you’re going for, that is.

Use Cardboard Box With Hay

This method can take up to 7 days, depending on the current ripening state of your mango. Thus, it only works overnight on mangoes that are typically almost fully ripe.

Here’s a quick guide on how to do this:

1. Get a cardboard box, preferably one without a lid.
2. If the box has a top, make holes on its sides for proper air circulation.
3. Put enough hay or dry grass at the base of the box.
4. Properly center the mango and pour enough hay to cover it.
5. Place the box in an open-air setting.

Try the Microwave Method

This method is not advisable. Of course, it helps you ripen your mango in less than 10 minutes, but you won’t get the peak taste from it.

If you choose the microwave method, follow these guidelines:

1. Use a knife or fork to poke/pierce the mango in 4 to 5 places.
2. Wrap the mango in a towel and place it in the microwave.
3. Set the timer for 10 seconds.
4. Remove after 10 seconds and gently press to feel its softness.
5. If it’s soft enough, there you go.

If, after 10 minutes, the mango isn’t ripe, repeat the process at 10-second intervals till you achieve your desired texture. 

Wrap in Paper Bag

As said earlier, mango produces ethylene which ripens the fruit when the gas concentrates around it. 

Thus, placing your mango in a paper bag under room temperature would ripen it faster. Ensure this paper bag is slightly poked to allow little airflow, which aids the process.

Place With Bananas

Bananas also produce ethylene gas, which is vital to ripening. If you place your mango in the same container or paper bag as a banana, there’d be an excess release of this gas, causing the mango and bananas to ripen faster.  

Cook With Sugar

Cooking with sugar ripens and preserves the mango simultaneously. 

Here’s how to ripen a mango using this method:

1. Get a clean pan. 
2. Pour some sugar and water into the pan.
3. Remove the skin of the mango.
4. Place the nude mango into the pan.
5. Turn on the heat, but not too high.
6. Watch till you start seeing the mango cell walls breaking.

The effect of glucose and fructose on the mango aids in ripening and gives the mango a sweeter taste.

Will Mangoes Ripen After Being in the Fridge?

You can only extend the shelf life of a mango in a refrigerator, but it won’t ripen there. However, some mangoes may ripen inside the fridge. But this is despite the storage conditions, not because of them. 

There’s an upside to this, though. You can store mangoes in the fridge for up to ten months without spoiling.

How Do You Ripen a Mango Naturally?

There are three ways to ripen a mango naturally. You can 

• Leave it on the counter to allow room temperature and ethylene work on it
• Place it in a brown bag and roll the open end. 
• Wrap it in a newspaper.

Do Mangoes Ripen Faster in Plastic Bags?

Mangoes will ripen faster in plastic bags but may also grow mold that prevents you from enjoying the ripe fruit. 

Let me explain.

When you put mango in a plastic bag/zip lock bag, the concentration of released ethylene would be high enough to ripen the mango. However, the plastic bag also seals in moisture and warmth.

The combination of moisture, warmth, and this mango accelerates the ripening to decaying stages, signaling mold growth. So, it’s effective, but it won’t give you the desired result.

To Wait or Not to Wait?

You can choose to wait for your mangoes to ripen naturally. If you’re craving it right now, you might not have that luxury of time.

It’s also helpful to learn how to pick ripe mangoes at the grocery store to prevent issues like this. Alternatively, check this guide to eating unripe mango the right way.