Mangoes can leak during the ripening process, when it’s decaying, and can appear leaky due to sap stains.
However, not all instances of leaky mango are bad, while some are so bad that you should discard the fruit. But which is which, and how can you tell?
Keep reading to find out why mangoes leak and if leaky mangoes are edible.
What Causes Mangoes to Leak?
Here are three reasons why your mangoes leak.
Ripening Liquid Squirts
Mangoes release liquid from its stem to show ripeness. When perfectly ripe, juicy mangos release a sticky transparent liquid to indicate that it can be consumed immediately.
In this case, it’s best to rinse off the mango sap on the skin so that it doesn’t react with your skin. After all, some people may be allergic to the sap or its mixture with urushiol oil on the mango skin.
Tree Sap Stain
Mango trees retain a lot of water after rainfall which makes them seep sap when the bark gets cut. If the sap seeps onto the fruit, it gets very sticky, giving the appearance of a leak.
A simple rinse and inspection of the mango should show where the leak is coming from, or reveal that the mango’s sap isn’t from the fruit’s body.
Sign of Spoiled Mango
When a mango oozes a black or colored juice, it’s already going bad or it’s totally rotten. The colored juice can ooze from the body and sometimes, the stem.
Should You Eat A Leaky Mango?
You can eat a leaky mango if it’s not oozing colored juice. However, before discarding a mango that’s leaking colored juice, cut into it to verify if it’s totally rotten, or if you can still make use of other unaffected parts.
Also, keep in mind that if you don’t wash off mango sap, it can burn your skin and cause a skin irritation known as Mango Dermatitis. So, always wash your mango fruits before consuming them, even if they only have clear sap on their skin.
