Jackfruit

Jackfruit is a species related to breadfruit.

Originally from the rainforest of India and Malaysia and is now grown in Asia, Africa, America and in Australia. Also spelt "jak fruit", in tropical Asia it is known as   nangka or langka.

Jackfruit is one of the largest fruit; some variety can weigh up to 20-40 kg. It is large and rounded oval.

It is covered with green knobby skin which turns yellow or brown as it ripens and has a juicy sweet flesh. Each fruit contains numerous large edible seeds.

 Unripe Jackfruit:

·         When unripe, both seeds and the flesh are eaten as a vegetable, the unripe fruit is creamy and white in color usually cooked in curries or made into chutney.  The immature fruit which is often picked when around 8-10 (20-25cm) in length is popular as a vegetable throughout the warmer countries of Asia.  

Ripe Jackfruit:

·         Ripe jackfruit can be peeled and eaten raw and the pulp is sweet and rather bland. Can be   boiled, roasted or fried or can be preserved in syrup or dried.  It makes a good addition to a fruit salad.  The flesh is used for ice cream, curries and deep fries or simply served chilled on a bed of ice.   

The seeds can be eaten boiled , fried or roasted like chestnuts which they resemble

Jack fruit are rich in carbohydrate and an excellent source of vitamin A and C with good fibre iron and moderate zinc.

Buying: Always select fruit with undamaged skin.

Preparing and Storing:

Peeled the jackfruit with an oiled knife and also oil your hands to prevent the latex sticking to your fingers and knife. Cut the fruit in half and remove the flesh from around the seeds.

Store the flesh in a sealed container in the refrigerator. Keep the uncut fruit outside the house because the smell will penetrate the house.

If buying sliced jackfruit, make sure the flesh is not turning brown. Refrigerate in a plastic bag for 1-2 days. In Asian markets, slices of young jackfruits are often sold in plastic bags as the whole fruit is normally too much for one family.