Big Easy Mango Freezy

When we lived in New Orleans, one of my favorite events was the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival that is held the last weekend in April and first weekend in May.  It's a riotous celebration of all genres of music as well as food and crafts from the different cultures represented in the New Orleans metro area (Cajun and Creole French, Italian, African American, Latino, and Vietnamese, among others).  The music is hot, the people are cool, and the food?  Unforgettable.  Unparalleled.  Seems like I have sampled every one of the Jazz Fest food offerings over the years.

Although held in the Spring, The Fest gets plenty HOT since it's held at the Fairgrounds where there is not a lick of shade.  Some people cope by bringing their umbrellas

But most people just "glisten".  What I used to do to beat the heat was slurp down a wonderfully cooling treat called a Mango Freeze.

Things are heating up in Texas (triple digits tomorrow...Lord, have mercy!), so I decided to try my hand at making Mango Freeze for myself.  Brings back some GOOD memories!  Watch and listen to New Orleans' own Rebirth Brass Band as you scroll through the pics to get the full effect. :)

First you'll need to make a simple syrup with 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar.  Boil down until you only have 1 cup liquid in total, then cool to room temperature.

Next you'll need the pulp from about 3 1/2 lbs. ripe mangoes.  Two of mine were huge and one was smaller.

Mangoes have a flat pit right in the center, and if you don't cut the fruit correctly, the pulp can be stringy and difficult to extract. Here's a little visual on the technique I use:

Cut down one side slightly off center, then do the same on the other side.  Score each section and flip it inside out.  Use your knife to cut away the cubes.  I also use a spoon to scrape as much pulp out as I can.

Put the mango in the bowl of a food processor or blender.  

Juice about 2 small limes (you'll need 3 tablespoons in total).  I only had 1 lime, so I used that and half an orange.

Combine the citrus juice and simple syrup, and slowly pour it through the feed tube of the food processor with the machine running.

You will end up with about 5 cups of mango puree base for the sorbet.  Cover and chill for several hours in the refrigerator.

I used my ice cream maker to churn this because I wanted a velvety smooth result.  My pic may be grainy, but my mango freeze sure wasn't!

I have read that you can freeze the base in ice cube trays and then pulse the frozen cubes before serving to smooth it out, but I haven't tried that personally.

We haven't been to the Jazz Fest since 2005, but  our family is going next year f'sure!

Wanna meet me in the Gospel Tent?  I'll be the woman with the Mango Freeze and a smile of pure joy because I'm soaking up the sights and sounds of one of the most unique places on earth.

Linking to: