Fruits : Standard groups

 

jackfruit

 

Botanical name: Artocarpus heterophyllus

 

The jackfruit originated in the rain forests on the coasts of peninsular India. Today, India remains the main growing area for this fruit.

 

The jackfruit spread early to far expanses of the Southeast Asian region, where it is an important cultivated fruit in Thailand and Malaysia, for instance, as well as in Brazil.

 

Availability

Jackfruits are available - if only in small amounts - all year round from Thailand, Malaysia or Brazil. The price is calculated based on the size of the fruit. The fruits are often sold in pieces rather than whole.

 

Appearance, taste, characteristics

The jackfruit is the accessory, or spurious fruit of the jackfruit tree, and at 10-40 kg, with a length of up to 1 m and a width of about 50 cm, it is the largest of all fruits. The shape is oblong and irregular. The sturdy skin of the jackfruit is green, yellow or brownish and covered with numerous small, angular evaginations. Inside are many individual fruits. These are the size of walnuts, look like sacks, are hexagonal and contain one brown seed each. The flesh of the jackfruit is light- or golden yellow; it smells like pineapple and banana and is juicy and sweet, with a flavour similar to honey.

 

Ingredients

The jackfruit is rich in fibre. 100 g contain:

 

 

Jackfruit, fresh

Energy (kcal)

72

Water (g)

78

Protein (g)

1

Fat (g)

<1

Carbohydrates (g)

15

Fibre (g)

4

Vitamin C (mg)

9

Vitamin A (RE) (µg)

38

Folic acid (µg)

7

Potassium (mg)

407

Sodium (mg)

2

Calcium (mg)

27

Magnesium (mg)

37

Iron (mg)

0.6

 

Quality criteria, optimal storage conditions

The flavour of the jackfruit depends on how ripe it is; the riper the fruit, the more intensive the taste. Larger fruits taste better than small ones. Ripe fruits give off a strong, unpleasant odour. Jackfruits spoil easily and are very sensitive to pressure and cold.

 

Form of consumption, use, processing, practical tips for preparation

Only about one third of the entire fruit is edible; the rest is waste. To eat it fresh, cut open the fruit and remove the gelatinous coating of the individual fruits. The pulp that lies beneath this can be eaten. The jackfruit tastes best well-chilled. In the countries where it is grown, the pulp is mixed in fruit salads or, after the seeds have been removed, the remaining shell is filled with vanilla ice cream.

 

Other possibilities are to preserve the pulp in syrup, to dry it or to candy it. Unripe fruits are eaten as vegetables. They are cooked in salted water, processed as pickles or made into conserves. The seeds are also edible if they are first cooked; the water they have cooked in should not be used otherwise, as it contains toxic substances. The cooked seeds are added to soups and stews. They may also be roasted or ground and used as an ingredient in baking.

 

 

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