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Li Hing pickled mangoes are the most flavorful mangoes you’ll ever eat, guaranteed. We combine our secret sauce with high-quality mangos to create an authentic pickle mango recipe that will tantalize your taste buds.
What Are Hawaiian-Style Li Hing Pickled Mangoes?
Li Hing Pickled Mangoes are mangos pickled with the addition of Li Hing Mui and Li Hing powder. While there are different ways to make green mango pickles, none of them stack up to the flavor and crunchiness of the Li Hing pickled mango!
What You’ll Need:
1. Li Hing Mui
Li Hing Mui are salty and sweet dried Hawaiian plums. Both the plum and the plum powder are added to the pickling solution. They give the pickled mangoes a unique and distinctive flavor.
Li Hing Mui and Li Hing powder
2. Li Hing Powder
Li Hing powder is a powdered form of Li Hing Mui. It has a distinctive red color that can’t be replicated (though some people try to compensate by using red food coloring).
3. Unripened Mangoes
We only use unripe mangoes: the greener the mango, and the harder the mango, the more unripe the mango.
To make the pickled mangoes, you peel off the skin, slice the mango meat, and then toss in a bowl with both li hing mui fruit and li hing powder. You then let sit in a jar for 24-48 hours in the pickling solution.
4. Pickling Solution
The pickling solution comprises simple ingredients: water, apple cider vinegar, rice vinegar, salt, and sugar.
Why Li Hing Mui?
Li Hing Mui is a salty and sweet dried plum about the size of a gumball. It’s a popular flavor all over Hawaii and is often picked as the default syrup for shaved ice. It’s also used as a flavor in Li Hing Icees at 7-11 and other drinks.
In its powdered form, it’s used as a seasoning to be sprinkled on everything from popcorn to gummy candy.
Where Can I Buy Li Hing Mui and Li Hing Powder Near Me?
You can find both Li Hing Mui and Li Hing powder on Amazon. You can also go to your local Asian or Mult-Ethnic Grocery Store and them there.
Where Can I Buy Mangoes Near Me?
While mangos literally grow in your backyard in Hawaii, you’ll need to go to your local supermarket, Asian supermarket, or farmer’s market here on the mainland. They may be harder to come by when it’s not mango season, so be sure to call first.
It doesn’t matter what type of mango you buy. Make sure you purchase unripened mangoes.
Tips for the Best Pickled Mangoes
1. Use Unripened Mangoes
Ripe mangoes can’t be pickled. They’ll fall apart in the pickling solution. So instead, use unripe mangoes. Unripe mangoes are dark green and hard.
Unripened mangos
2. Use Glass Jars
Only use glass jars to pickle your mangoes. The acid in the vinegar can eat away in plastic containers. No one wants to be eating dissolved plastic!
3. Can I Use White Vinegar for My Pickled Mangoes?
If you have neither rice vinegar nor apple cider vinegar on hand, feel free to substitute with white vinegar. Using white vinegar will pack a bit more of a punch.
As long as you’re using vinegar, you’re good to go. If you only have one or the other (rice or apple cider vinegar), you can use that as your only vinegar.
4. Do I Have To Use Li Hing Mui and Powder?
The most important of the two ingredients is the Li Hing powder. The Li Hing Mui is an excellent addition but isn’t necessary.
5. What Else Can I Add to the Pickling Brine?
Get creative! Many folks will add a cinnamon stick, black peppercorns, sliced ginger, brown sugar, star anise, turmeric powder, ground fenugreek seeds, and mustard seeds.
You name it; you can add it. Just keep in mind that your end goal is a salty & sweet flavor.
How to Slice an Unripened Mango
Here’s the thing: raw mangoes are a bit harder to cut than ripe ones. I discovered a method through trial and error and six mangoes later that will make your life easier.
First, make a vertical cut around the mango (just like you would for an avocado).
How to slice an unripened mango.
Next, while holding the mango in one hand, use your other hand to steadily cut additional slices along the length of the mango, like what you see in the above image.
Once you’ve made all the vertical sliced proceed to cut off the tippy top and the bitty bottom of the mango. Now you should be able to pull the slices off of the pit quickly.
How to Pickle Mangos:
This recipe makes four medium to large jars. Feel free to adjust the amounts for more or less jars. This isn’t a hard and fast recipe, and you can’t ruin it.
Place mango slices in a large mixing bowl and toss in the li hing powder. Mix until the mango pieces are evenly covered.
Step 2: Make the Pickling Solution
Heat a small saucepan to medium heat. Combine vinegar (apple vinegar & rice vinegar), salt, water, and sugar. Bring these ingredients to a boil and mix until the sugar and salt are fully dissolved.
Remove from the heat and let cool until room temperature, or about an hour.
Letting the brine cool to room temperature
Step 3: Fill Your Mason Jars
Place the mango slices in the mason jars and add 2-3 Li Hing Mui to each jar.
Pour the cooled pickling solution over the contents of each jar until the solution reaches the top. Seal the jars and place them in the refrigerator for 24-48 hours. Let them sit for 3-4 days for the best result, but feel free to crack these open the next day!
Use any size mason jar your heart desires.
Pickle Mango Recipe
Simple Pickled Mango Recipe
Li Hing pickled mangoes are the most flavorful mangoes you’ll ever eat, guaranteed.
Peel & Slice the MangosPeel six large, unripe, raw mangoes. Cut the mangoes in half lengthwise and remove the pit. Next, cut the mango halves into 1/2 inch, thin slices. Place mango slices in a large mixing bowl and toss in the 1 tbsp li hing powder.Mix all the ingredients until the mango pieces are evenly covered.
6 mangos, 1 tbsp li hing mui powder
Make the Pickling SolutionHeat a small saucepan to medium heat. Combine vinegar (apple vinegar & rice vinegar), salt, water, and sugar. Bring these ingredients to a boil and mix until the sugar and salt are fully dissolved.Remove from the heat and let cool until room temperature, or about an hour.
2 cups water, ½ cup rice vinegar, ½ cup apple cider vinegar, 2 cups sugar, ¼ cup hawaiian salt
Fill Your Mason JarsPlace the mango slices in the mason jars and add 2-3 Li Hing Mui to each jar.Pour the cooled pickling solution over the contents of each jar until the solution reaches the top. Seal the jars and place them in the refrigerator for 24-48 hours. Let them sit for 3-4 days for the best result, but feel free to crack these open the next day!
The Golden Lamb provides nutritional information, but these figures should be considered estimates, as they are not calculated by a registered dietician.
Thanks for stopping by! I’d love to hear from you in the comments below. What did you think about this mango recipe? Are you going to add this to your list of great recipes?
Kelsey brings over 20 years of hands-on experience in the coffee industry, having honed his craft as a professional barista in both Seattle and Santa Barbara. He is an accredited member of The Coffee Association of America and holds an active membership in The Baristas Guild. Beyond his practical experience, Kelsey is deeply committed to the academic study of coffee history and its cultural impact. Outside of his professional pursuits, he enjoys quality time with his family and shares his extensive knowledge of coffee through insightful articles on this blog.
