How to Eat Mangosteen

Co-authored by Amy Bobinger

Last Updated: June 19, 2019 References

Mangosteens are a delicious treat often referred to as the “Queen of Fruit.” They’re about the size of a tangerine, and they have a thick purple shell which contains the soft, white edible fruit inside. Mangosteens are typically eaten raw, but they also can be juiced for a drink called santol-ade. You can even use the fruit in your favorite desserts and savory dishes!

Ingredients

Mangosteen Juice

3-4 ripe mangosteens
1 cup (200 g) sugar
8 cups (1,900 mL) water

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Opening the Mangosteen

1
Choose mangosteens with a glossy sheen. For the best results, look for mangosteens with a firm outer skin, with no cracks, leaking juice, hardened resin. Also, if it has a cap of green leaves, make sure the cap is healthy-looking and that there are no bugs hiding beneath it.^{[1]
X
Research source}
- Hardened resin on the outside of the rind indicates that the juices have seeped out of the fruit.
2
Remove the top leaves and stem from the top of the fruit. The cap on a mangosteen is made up of 4 leaves and a stem. Before you open the rind, use your fingers to pluck the cap off of the top of the fruit. Discard the cap after you take it off.^{[2]
X
Research source}
- The bottom of the fruit has brown, raised ridges. The number of petals on the bottom of the fruit corresponds to the number of sections in the mangosteen. You don’t have to remove this part.
Advertisement
3
Press in on the top of the fruit. After you remove the cap, the top of the shell will be slightly softer than the rest of the outer rind on the fruit. Hold the fruit in one hand, then use the thumb or index finger of your other hand to press in on the indentation of the top of the mangosteen. You should feel the fruit give slightly.^{[3]
X
Research source}
- Don’t push too hard, or you could damage the soft flesh inside of the fruit.
4
Squeeze on the sides until the purple shell cracks. After you’ve made a slight crack in the top of the mangosteen, hold the fruit in the fingertips of both hands. Apply gentle pressure to the shell by squeezing it until it splits open.^{[4]
X
Research source}
- The shell of a mangosteen is about ¹⁄₄ in (0.64 cm) thick, but it starts to harden after the fruit is harvested. A very fresh mangosteen will be easy to split by squeezing it, but if it’s been a while, the shell will be tough.
5
Make a shallow, horizontal cut around the shell if it's tough. If your mangosteen shell doesn't crack easily, carefully use a thin, sharp paring knife to make a ¹⁄₄–¹⁄₃ in (0.64–0.85 cm) deep, horizontal cut all the way around the shell. Then, twist and lift off the top of the shell.^{[5]
X
Research source}
- Don't cut all the way into the shell, because you'll damage the fruit.
6
Eat the white flesh inside of the fruit. Either pick it out with your hands or use a small fork. The fruit should be opaque white, firm, and not translucent or yellowish. Large segments of mangosteen fruit usually contain a seed, so watch out for these while you’re eating. Smaller segments are usually seedless.^{[6]
X
Research source}
- Mangosteen seeds are white when the fruit is fresh, but as the fruit ages, the seeds will start to turn brown, affecting the color of the fruit. You can use this to gauge the freshness of the mangosteen.
- Yellow sections of mangosteen flesh will be very bitter.
- Whole mangosteen can be stored at room temperature for several days. Once you cut open the shell, though, place any remaining fruit in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Serving suggestions: Add mangosteen to sweet treats like jam and ice cream, or use the whole segments as a sweet salad topping!

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Making Mangosteen Juice

1
Peel 3-4 large, ripe mangosteens. To make mangosteen juice, choose several large mangosteens with a firm, glossy skin. Either squeeze them to crack the skin open, or use a small, sharp knife to make a shallow cut horizontally around the skin, then lift away the top half to expose the fruit inside.^{[7]
X
Research source}
- This drink is also known as santol-ade.
2
Chop up the fruit, removing the seeds. Place the fruit on a cutting board and carefully use a sharp knife to cut the fruit into small pieces. The fruit should cut easily, and it will likely fall apart, so don’t worry about making the pieces evenly-sized. Just break up the fruit as much as you can.^{[8]
X
Research source}
- Consider placing the fruit into a bowl after it’s cut to catch any juices that run out.
3
Mix 1 cup (200 g) of sugar and 3 cups (710 mL) of water in a large pitcher. Stir the mixture with a long-handled spoon or put the lid on and shake it thoroughly until the sugar is dissolved. Otherwise, it will just stay at the bottom of the pitcher, and your drink will be unevenly sweetened.^{[9]
X
Research source}
4
Add the chopped up mangosteen to the water and stir. Once the sugar is completely dissolved, place the chopped up mangosteen in the pitcher. Give the mixture another good stir or shake, but don’t worry about getting it completely blended. The flavor of the fruit will infuse into the drink as it rests.^{[10]
X
Research source}

Tip: To make the juice more flavorful, puree half of the rind and add it to the water as well. You can also add other fruit juices, like apple juice or white grape juice, if you want.
5
Add the remaining 5 cups (1,200 mL) of water. After you’ve added the other ingredients, pour the rest of the water into the pitcher. Stir or shake it one more time to make sure the sugar is distributed evenly.^{[11]
X
Research source}
6
Place the pitcher in the refrigerator for 4 hours. Santol-ade needs time to steep in order for the flavor of the mangosteen to be infused through the entire pitcher. Also, the drink will taste better when it’s chilled, so make sure it has plenty of time to cool off in the fridge.^{[12]
X
Research source}
- This drink will naturally brown as it sits. When it’s ready, it will have a color similar to diluted apple juice.
7
Strain if desired and serve over ice. Some people like the texture of the mangosteen in their juice, while other people prefer to strain the mixture. If you do want to strain it, pour the juice through a fine-mesh strainer or a coffee filter, then enjoy on its own or over ice. ^{[13]
X
Research source}
- If you don’t strain the juice, give it another shake or a stir before you serve it.
- Drink the juice within 1-3 days.^{[14]
  X
  Research source}
8
Finished.