513804 Mon Apr 28 09:27:41 -0700 2008 10 31 Home Cooking 0 3636364 Do not automatically write this off as a crazy question. I love mangos and I hate waste. There is always so much yummy pulp that no matter of scraping with teeth can remove. I am sure somewhere in the world some ingenious cooks have found ways to harness mango peels (hey, orange peels are turned into candies!) So....any ideas Chowhounds? Mon Apr 28 09:27:42 -0700 2008 36425 star7bs 1 3636429 No no no no. While not strictly poisonous, the sap and peel of mangos are highly toxic. Most people (though not all) will react very badly. It's a dermatitis reaction very like poison ivy (with similar frequency, not everyone reacts)--but not something you want to risk. Mon Apr 28 09:39:25 -0700 2008 3636364 155583 modthyrth 1 3637980 Mango peels are inedible. Go to the mango website. Mon Apr 28 16:20:15 -0700 2008 3636364 162977 sarah galvin 1 3639320 Unripe (very tart) or raw mangoes are eaten peels and all (pickles, or cooked with dal, or in salads, etc.). Though I've never heard of people eating the peels of ripe mangoes, there seems to be a recipe here: http://kuali.com/recipes/viewrecipe.asp?r=228 that uses them. Do tell if it works.... Tue Apr 29 07:24:28 -0700 2008 3636364 116187 Rasam 2 3639378 I can confirm that mango peels are VERY unpleasant for people who are sensitive to poison ivy. I love mangos and I can touch the peels with my hands, but if the peel comes in contact with mouth and lips, I break out in a bad rash. No fun at all. Tue Apr 29 07:46:03 -0700 2008 3639320 72414 buttermilk 3 3642236 I was thinking about the use of unripened green mango with peel in Indo-Pak chutneys and pickles as well, plus there is a whole genre of cuisine for "kairi" (that's Urdu/Hindi for the raw mango). I must have eaten pounds of the stuff in my lifetime and I never died. Perhaps the poison develops once the mangos mature. Definately don't like the ripened mango peels though. I toss them out. I have never heard of them being used and I guess now after reading this thread I know why. They are bitter and yucky anyway. Wed Apr 30 00:47:04 -0700 2008 3639378 118120 luckyfatima 4 3642987 Maybe so. I used to eat unripe mangoes pickled and sprinkled with salt until my lips would turn white. Of course, I'm also a person who can run through a field of poison ivy with no ill effect, so I'm not the best test case. ;-) Wed Apr 30 08:51:46 -0700 2008 3642236 155583 modthyrth 1 3640317 Mango skin contains urushiol oil, which is the substance in poison ivy that causes rashes. If you're allergic to it, it could be dangerous but if you're not, you could eat it, though it doesn't taste good. People used to think that by eating small amounts of poison ivy, they'd build up an immunity to it but they'd get serious side effects, eg, tingling mouth, severe stomach cramps, vomitting, to death. People who are allergic to urushiol oil will react the same with mangoes (and cashews, brazilnuts, pistachios) and skin. Tue Apr 29 11:44:05 -0700 2008 3636364 39874 chowser 1 3640413 Mango is a relative of poison ivy. You can't even burn the wood safely. Tue Apr 29 12:05:11 -0700 2008 3636364 176650 Lenox637 2 3641787 now I know - I love mango skins and eat them all the time - but I am one of the 65%(?) who do not have a reaction to poison Ivy and can basically stand in it all day without ever knowing it. Tue Apr 29 19:24:49 -0700 2008 3640413 168978 EmileJ 1 3641856 Also be aware that, if the fruit has been sprayed or otherwise treated with pesticides, fungicides, etc., the peel is likely to have the highest concentration of those potentially harmful compounds. Tue Apr 29 19:56:55 -0700 2008 3636364 10520 carswell