Sally, yes, simple syrup will keep in the fridge. I keep mine in a glass jar with a lid. Any covered container will do. I read somewhere that it will actually keep up to six months. But since I only make a small quantity at a time, the longest I've ever keep it is two weeks. Ann

Updated OP to add Party Pitcher sizes. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- This new recipe is light and refreshing! Very subtle and sparkling. Sparkling Ginger Margaritas 2 sliced ginger root as thick as a quarter, coarsely chopped 1 fresh kaffir lime leaf, cut in half where leaf is indented (optional) 1 1/2 oz blue agave blanco tequila 1/2 oz fresh lime juice 1/2 oz orange Curacao or triple sec 1/4 ginger agave syrup* Sparkling wine, such as cava In bottom of cocktail shaker, middle ginger slices and lime leaf until ginger is coarsely mashed. Shake with 6-10 ice cubes. Pour into 6-oz martini glass. Top with sparkling wine. Bruise remaining half of lime leaf by slapping between palms of hands to release aroma. Float on drink. *Ginger agave syrup Combine 1/2 C light organic agave syrup with 2 T water in small saucepan. Set over medium heat and add 1/4 C finely chopped ginger (no need to peel). When mixture simmers, time 2 minutes, then remove from heat and cool to room temp. Strain. Keep in fridge for up to a month. Party Pitcher 16 slices ginger as thick as a quarter, coarsely chopped 8 fresh kaffir lime leaves 1 1/2 C tequila as above 1/2 C fresh lime juice 1/2 orange Curacao or triple sec 1/4 C ginger agave syrup* Sparkling wine, such as cava In the bottom of pitcher, muddle the ginger and half the lime leaves until ginger is coarsely mashed. Add tequila, lime, Curacao, and ginger agave. Refrigerate 2 hrs. Fill cocktail shaker with ice and 2/3 C margarita mixture. Shake and serve as above in glass with cava and bruised lime leaf. --------------------------------------- Next week is Black Currant-Rhubarb Margarita!

Cookalong #50 ------- MANGOS Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Wed, Jun 27, 12 at 11:06 Jessy has picked mangos for our Cookalong. I love mangos and they are now available all year, in my grocery store. Do you have a favorite recipe? Please post T+T recipes only Thank you! Nancy Here is a link that might be useful: Cookalong #49 ----- FISH!!! Follow-Up Postings: o RE: Cookalong #50 ------- MANGOS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by jessyf (My Page) on Wed, Jun 27, 12 at 13:13 Oh wow thanks for picking me, Nancy! This one has been in my summer repertoire (or any time I find a mango at the store LOL). I have noted my changes. Roasted Corn, Black Bean & Mango Salad http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/corn_bean_mango_salad.html From EatingWell: Summer 2004, The EatingWell Diabetes Cookbook (2005) This simple, fresh-tasting salad adds delicious variety to grilled foods, such as salmon, halibut, chicken or pork. Browning the corn in a skillet gives it a nutty, caramelized flavor that contrasts with the sweetness of the mango. 8 servings, generous 1/2 cup each : Active Time: 45 minutes : Total Time: 45 minutes Ingredients 2 teaspoons canola oil 1 clove garlic, minced 1 1/2 cups corn kernels, (from 3 ears) 1 large ripe mango, (about 1 pound), peeled and diced 1 15-ounce or 19-ounce can black beans, rinsed 1/2 cup chopped red onion 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper 3 tablespoons lime juice 1 small canned chipotle pepper in adobo sauce drained and chopped 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin 1/4 teaspoon salt Preparation Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in corn and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 8 minutes. Transfer the corn mixture to a large bowl. Stir in mango, beans, onion, bell pepper, lime juice, chipotle, cilantro, cumin and salt. Jessica's notes: (1) if I don't have leftover roasted corn on hand from a prior dinner, I use TJ's frozen roasted corn kernels. (2) I use Penzey's ground chipotle powder - mixes in easier and more completely. (3) I don't cook the garlic, I add it in fresh. Here is a link that might be useful: Eating Well's Corn-Bean-Mango salad o RE: Cookalong #50 ------- MANGOS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by natal (My Page) on Wed, Jun 27, 12 at 17:57 Mango Salsa 1 fresh mango, diced 1/4 cup red onion, fine chop 1 serrano pepper (or jalapeno) seeded and finely diced 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro Juice of one lime 2 tablespoons olive oil salt and pepper to taste Combine all and let sit at room temp for at least an hour. Serve on top of blackened or grilled fish. blackened tuna... ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cubed mango is also good in tuna salad made with leftover grilled or blackened tuna. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ancho-Marinated Pork & Mango Kabobs I've made variations of Ellie's recipe. We like it with a little more heat. I like to add chipotle powder and increase the citrus. Here is a link that might be useful: Ancho-marinated pork and mango kabobs o RE: Cookalong #50 ------- MANGOS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by doucanoe (My Page) on Wed, Jun 27, 12 at 18:26 I love, love, love that corn, black bean and mango salad that Jessy posted! If anyone has not tried it, I urge you to....it's THAT good! Here are my contributions: This first one is my own creation. Really tasty on a hot summer day (like today)! Kiwi Mango Ice Pops 3/4 c simple syrup 4 kiwis 1 mango 1T lemon juice Juice of 1 lime Peel and dice the kiwis and mango. Put fruit in bowl of food processor, add simple syrup, lemon juice and lime juice. Process until smooth. Pour into ice pop molds and freeze until firm. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This one is from Simply Recipes blog. The only change I make is to use flour tortillas as corn tortillas don't hold up well to eating out of hand if they are not fried. Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com Fish Tacos with Mango Salsa From Simply Recipes 1 lb of very fresh fish fillets - (Good fish for tacos are firm fish like swordfish or shark) Salt and pepper Olive oil 1 doz corn tortillas (3 tortillas per person) Vegetable oil or butter (optional, depending on how you heat your tortillas) Salsa - (See Mango Salsa Recipe.) 1 ripe Avocado Cabbage (or iceberg lettuce) Cider vinegar Salt 1 Prepare the salsa. Either use store bought or make your own. (See above link for Mango Salsa, which is especially good with fish.) 2 Prepare the cabbage and avocado. Thinly slice cabbage. Put in a small serving bowl. Sprinkle with cider vinegar (about a Tbsp) and salt (about a tsp). Mix in the vinegar and salt. Peel avocado and remove seed. Chop and reserve for later. 3 Heat the tortillas. Unless you have made fresh tortillas from scratch, you will need to soften them somehow. One way to easily soften and heat a tortilla to simply heat it in the microwave for 20-25 seconds on high heat, on top of a napkin or paper towel to absorb the moisture that is released. We often will heat two tortillas at once in the microwave, heating them for a total of 40 seconds. Another way is to heat a well seasoned (black) large cast iron skillet to medium heat. Add a teaspoon of oil to the pan or spread a half a teaspoon of butter on one side of one tortilla. Place tortilla in the pan (butter side down if you are using butter). As the tortilla sizzles, flip the tortilla with a spatula so that the other side gets some of the oil or butter from the pan. Continue to flip every 10-30 seconds until the tortillas begins to develop air pockets, about a minute. If the pan begins to smoke, lower the temperature. You can skip the butter or oil if you wish and just heat the tortillas up on the skillet without them. We have found that the flavor of packaged tortillas benefits from heating them with a bit of oil. Remove the tortilla from the pan and place it folded on a plate. If the pan is large enough you can prepare two or more tortillas at once. Continue until all the tortillas (estimate 3 per person) are cooked. Set aside. 4 Cook the fish. Soak the fish fillets in cold water for at least one minute. Pat dry with a paper towel. Heat a large stick-free skillet to medium high heat. Add a couple of teaspoons of olive oil to the skillet. Place fish on skillet. Cooking time depends on the thickness of the fillets. A thin fillet may take only one minute on each side to cook. A thicker fillet may take a couple of minutes. Fish should be still barely translucent when cooked. Break off a piece and test if you are not sure. Do not overcook the fish. Remove from pan when done to a separate plate. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. 5 Assembly. I think tacos are best when you assemble them yourself. Place the plate of tortillas, the plate of fish, the salsa, the cabbage, and the avocados on the table and let everyone assemble their own. Serves four. Mango Salsa 1 ripe mango, peeled, pitted, and diced (about 1 1/2 cup) (See: How to Cut a Mango) 1/2 medium red onion, finely chopped 1 Jalape�o chile, minced (include ribs and seeds for a hotter taste if desired) 1 small cucumber, peeled and diced (about 1 cup) 3 Tbsp fresh cilantro leaves, chopped 3 Tbsp fresh lime juice Salt and pepper to taste Also good with diced red bell pepper and jicama. Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. If the salsa ends up being a little too hot or acidic for your taste, you can temper it by adding some diced avocado. Linda o RE: Cookalong #50 ------- MANGOS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by Lindac (My Page) on Wed, Jun 27, 12 at 18:37 I seem to flunk mangos...have great trouble picking a good one that's not over ripe or under ripe. But when I do....It's Jessie's salad that I make!! o RE: Cookalong #50 ------- MANGOS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by publickman (My Page) on Wed, Jun 27, 12 at 19:37 I pretty much only eat ripe mangos plain with lime juice or in smoothies/sorbets, but if I put them in a savory dish, I like to use green ones, which are tart and firm instead of sweet and mushy. My friend Eury from Senegal also prefers the green mangos for such dishes and says that they are what is popular in Africa. Since I had a mango tree in Venice, I was able to pick green mangos for her, but they are often difficult to find in markets. However, if you can find them, they work very well in the recipes so far posted. Now I miss my mango tree :(. Green mangos are popular in Mexico (eaten with chili powder) and in Thai and Indian cooking. I thought I would mention this so that you might think of more recipes and consider using the green mangos. Lars o RE: Cookalong #50 ------- MANGOS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by barnmom (My Page) on Wed, Jun 27, 12 at 21:19 I love mangoes and they are very nutritious but always seem like an indulgence to me. I have been making many salads with mangoes recently with a dressing of rice vinegar, sesame oil, low sodium soy, lime juice, and a bit of sweetener like honey or maple syrup and some chipotle or cayenne and cumin. The rest of the salad is usually some greens (baby lettuce or spinach), red bell pepper, avocado, cilantro, mint, cashews, and some grilled chicken or salmon. Like Cindy and Linda above I also make mango salsa. This recipe is one I devised on the fly but I liked it so well I wrote it down. I have shared it I'm sure but will place it here to have on the same thread as the rest of the mango recipes. Mango (or Pineapple) Salsa 2 small ripe mangoes, peeled and diced (or half of a pineapple, diced) 1/2 large red bell pepper, diced 2 tangelos (or small oranges or tangerines), peeled, seeded, and diced 3 tablespoons red onion, minced (or 3 scallions, minced) 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped 2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar juice of one lime 1/4-1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder (or cayenne) Mix all ingredients together. Serve over salmon or chicken or eat with corn chips. I usually double it. Eileen o RE: Cookalong #50 ------- MANGOS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by grainlady (My Page) on Thu, Jun 28, 12 at 9:02 This recipe for MANGO LEATHER from the National Center for Home Food Preservation is a granddaughter favorite. I've also made it using fresh peaches and mangoes. - Grainlady Here is a link that might be useful: MANGO LEATHER - NCHFP o RE: Cookalong #50 ------- MANGOS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by booberry85 (becky@leadtesting.net) on Thu, Jun 28, 12 at 12:29 Mango Lassi (Mango Smoothy): Very easy. Very yummy. Great for a hot day like today! I've seen recipes where they've added cardamon and or nutmeg. I never have though. Mango Lassi 2 mangos - peeled, seeded and diced 2 cups plain yogurt 1/2 cup white sugar 1 cup ice Directions In a blender, combine mangos, yogurt, sugar and ice. Blend until smooth. Pour into glasses and serve. o RE: Cookalong #50 ------- MANGOS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by ruthanna (My Page) on Fri, Jun 29, 12 at 0:23 I see some recipes in this thread that I'd definitely like to try -- and soon! You know I like to make flavored butters and this one is good on mild flavored fish, pork and beets. MINT-MANGO BUTTER 1/2 cup sweet butter 1/2 fresh mango, peeled and pureed 2 tsp. fresh lime juice 2 Tbs. finely chopped fresh mint Dash of salt Cream the butter and mix all the ingredients together until well blended. Roll into a log shape, wrap well, and refrigerate. NOTE: This doesn't freeze well and is best if used within 24 hours of when you make it. I have posted this recipe before but here it is again since it really showcases the mangos. BLACK BEANS IN MANGO SAUCE 1 1/2 Tbs. olive oil 2 cups minced red onion 1 Tbs. minced garlic 1 3-inch jalapeno chile, seeded and minced 1 1/2 Tbs. minced fresh ginger 1 1/2 tsp. whole cumin seeds 1 1/2 tsp. salt About 6 cups cooked black beans (or 3 15-ounce cans, rinsed and drained) 6 Tbs. fresh lime juice 2 large ripe mangoes, peeled and minced Freshly ground black pepper to taste Heat the oil in a medium-sized skillet. Add 1 3/4 cups of the onion, and the garlic, chile, ginger, cumin seeds, and salt. Saute over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Turn the heat down to medium-low, and add the beans and about half the lime juice. Cook for about 5 minutes more until the beans are heated through and then transfer to a bowl. Stir in the remaining lime juice and about half of the chopped mangoes directly into the hot beans, mashing the mangoes a little as you stir. Grind in some black pepper, then cove and let stand for about 15 minutes to let the sauce develop. Serve warm, at room temperature, or even cold, topped with the remaining red onion and mango, and some minced parsley or cilantro, if desired. Good served with plain cooked white or brown rice. Source: Mollie Katzen's Vegetable Heaven Photobucket o RE: Cookalong #50 ------- MANGOS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by bob_cville (My Page) on Fri, Jun 29, 12 at 15:21 I don't have a mango recipe, but I do have a story about a mango recipe. A friend had invited me over for dinner and he was planning to make peaches flambe for dessert. However he got to the store and there were no peaches to be found. After standing around trying to figure what to use as a substitute for peaches, he decided to make mangoes flambe. The mangoes were slightly underripe, so the dish had a slight astringent aftertaste, but was otherwise delicious. o RE: Cookalong #50 ------- MANGOS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by cloudy_christine (My Page) on Fri, Jun 29, 12 at 15:41 Marcella Hazan actually suggests substituting mangoes for peaches in desserts, in her first cookbook. Because she found American peaches (where did she get them?) not as flavorful as Italian ones. I like mangoes well enough, but not nearly as much as peaches. o RE: Cookalong #50 ------- MANGOS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by ruthanna (My Page) on Mon, Jul 2, 12 at 17:00 I hesitate to post this recipe without adding a warning that if you plan to make it omitting or substituting other ingredients for the corn syrup, don't. TRADEWINDS SORBET 2 cups water 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup light corn syrup 2 large ripe mangoes 1 (16 oz.) can crushed pineapple with juice 2 Tbs. lemon juice In a medium saucepan, combine water, sugar and corn syrup. Stir over low heat until sugar dissolves. Set aside and cool to room temperature. Peel mangoes. Cut pulp from seeds; discard seeds. In blender or food processor, puree mango pieces, pineapple with juice and lemon juice until mixture is almost smooth. Stir into cooled syrup. Pour into ice cream canister. Freeze in ice cream maker according to manufacturer's directions. Makes about 2 quarts. Freezer method: Pour prepared mixture into 9 inch square pan and cover with foil or plastic wrap. Place mixture in freezer; freeze until almost firm, 1 to 3 hours. Break into small pieces. Spoon half of mixture into chilled food processor bowl or a chilled large bowl. Beat with metal food processor blade or with electric mixer until light and fluffy but not thawed. Repeat with other half of partially frozen mixture. Immediately return beaten mixture to pan and freeze until firm, 1 to 3 hours. o RE: Cookalong #50 ------- MANGOS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by mustangs (My Page) on Tue, Jul 3, 12 at 10:04 Having grown up with a mango tree in the yard, I took mangos for granted and ate out of hand mostly. I do make mango smoothies for breakfast several times a week. I make the ice cubes from Looza Mango Nectar. 8 mango ice cubes 1 fresh mango 1 container mango yogurt 1/4 cup Looza Mango Nectar Here is a link that might be useful: Mango Nectar o RE: Cookalong #50 ------- MANGOS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by publickman (My Page) on Tue, Jul 3, 12 at 11:51 Cathy, that looks like a good recipe and is similar to something I have made in the past. However, Trader Joe's has mango nectar for half that price. We buy two bottles at a time. I also find mangos to be very similar to peaches in flavor but also very superior to peaches. I had more mangos as a child than peaches even though we had a peach tree. I do like peach ice cream, however. I think I want to try Ruthanna's sorbet recipe, but I would like to substitute some of the fresh pineapple that I put in the freezer a couple of days ago. o RE: Cookalong #50 ------- MANGOS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by mustangs (My Page) on Tue, Jul 3, 12 at 12:30 Hey Lars, yeahbut we don't have a TJ's. Thanks for the heads up. I can get mango nectar less expensive at the Mexican markets. o RE: Cookalong #50 ------- MANGOS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by ynnej (My Page) on Tue, Jul 3, 12 at 15:36 I've never tried mango nectar but I must! Thanks for the links. o RE: Cookalong #50 ------- MANGOS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by lpinkmountain (My Page) on Wed, Jul 4, 12 at 14:31 Sliced my hand up real bad on a mango and have had mango-phobia ever since. I buy the frozen ones if I ever need them, which is rarely. I'm like CC, I vastly prefer peaches, I like the tartness that they have. My favorite mango dish was coleslaw but BF didn't like it. I just used my regular coleslaw dressing--I think this time lime juice, canola oil, cilantro, honey, touch of mint, ginger and hot sauce. I also like mango in smoothies. Makes a good salsa too. o RE: Cookalong #50 ------- MANGOS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by Bumblebeez (My Page) on Wed, Jul 4, 12 at 14:59 The past several mangoes I've picked have all been duds, similar to avocados, it's made me give them up as I can't count on what I buy and I hate buying unusable produce. But I love them! I usually just eat one over the sink when I do find a good one.

My new individual molds came and I made the green bean popsicles a few days ago. They're fab! Green beans are a fruit, after all. I'm the only one eating the popsicles. When I want something frozen, it's usually the freeze I'm looking for, not sugar, so I didn't make any invert sugar or simple syrup. I was just winging it, and didn't measure, but I think I had about a qua of a pound of green beans after cleaning, maybe a pint loose, and I'm guessing about 36 mint leaves on the stem. Into the Vita-Mix. It was clear that after a quick chop I was going to need more liquid just to run the blender before enough was released from the beans. At this point it tasted really good, with the flavors of both the mint and the beans playing well together, and I didn't want to change the proportions. Water sounded wrong and juice sounded too sweet, until I bethought me of a small bottle of unsweetened pomegranate juice lurking in the back of the fridge--it's less sweet than the raw beans. Maybe a third to half a cup of that. Not enough to change the color or flavor, but added a lot of depth of flavor to the minty green beanness, and maybe a hint of an idea of sweetness, mostly from the latent bitterness. When I checked it at the pulpy sludge state it was so delicious I didn't press my luck and go on to liquefy. The only tall space I had to stand up the new molds for freezing was the top shelf of the main freezer right in front of the air vent. That's often the coldest place. I think the fiber and pulpiness kept it from getting to that overhard icy place we were talking about. Even right out of the main freezer it was nicely biteable, or suckable, without being drippy melty. I have since moved them to the warmer, ice cream chiller for space management and so I'd have the tall space available for other popsicles. but haven't had one at the warmer temp. As to the general outcome, it's just as delicious as before it was frozen, with that lovely freeziness added. The bottom of the mold had some minty water separated out. I think it was more than the residual water that might have been left on the ingredients from cleaning, but probably separated out from the pulp. It's pleasant, though without it the pulpy part a bit too pulpy and needed more chewing than a popsicle should. Next time, I'll make it liquidier. There will definitely be a next time. I don't know what mad faerie prompted me to make green bean popsicles, but they're really good!