How to Choose and Cut a Ripe Jackfruit
Ripe jackfruits can be eaten as is but are also used in a variety of dessert based dishes such as custards, cakes and puddings. While it is relatively easy to find canned ripe jackfruit, it is another matter to choose a ripe jackfruit.
jackfruit nutrition
Due to the various cultivars of jackfruits available today, there are a different tell-tale signs to indicate ripe jackfruits. Also, the majority of supermarkets and farmer's markets will rarely indicate the cultivar of their produce so that makes choosing ripe jackfruits more difficult. Fortunately, there are some tell tale signs that indicate ripenessthat span across all varieties.
Ripe jackfruits would have shades ranging from bright yellow to light brown. If the jackfruit has dark patches on its skin, then that is also another indicator of ripeness. Now due to the various cultivars available, it is not possible to state that a certain fruit is ripe simply by seeing the spacing between the small spikes found on jackfruit skin. As a result, it is advised to press the jackfruit to check for firmness. The jackfruit should not be soft (too ripe) or hard (unripe) and should give off a delicate sweet smell reminiscent of mangoes and bananas.
Once a ripe jackfruit is chosen, it is necessary to keep in mind that approximately 30% of the total jackfruit would be edible. The rest of the jackfruit would consist of spines, skin and latex ooze. Therefore, if more ripe jackfruits are needed, it is advisable to buy them at once in order to avoid making multiple trips.
Once a ripe jackfruit is purchased, it is advisable to wear latex gloves prior to cutting into the jackfruit and to use an old cutting board. Also, smear some cooking oil on the knife to be used for cutting into the fruit. Keep some extra oil in place for periodically re-oiling the knife and to use later while washing your hands.
First cut the jackfruit in half and start to carve out the yellow arils in the flesh. With each cut into the jackfruit, white latex oozes out and coats the knife. Wipe the latex off the knife and re-oil before cutting again. Each individual aril would be covered with white fibers. Tear away the white fibers by hand a make a deep incision into each aril. Then remove the seed from each aril and keep aside. These seeds cannot be eaten raw but can be baked or boiled and then eaten or used in other dishes.
These yellow arils along with the seeds are the actual edible portions of the jackfruit. Peel off any white fibers left on the arils and give them a good rinse. These arils can be stored in the fridge for up to a week and used in a variety of dessert dishes such as jackfruit custard and jackfruit cakes or enjoyed as is.
jackfruit nutrition
jackfruit nutrition
Due to the various cultivars of jackfruits available today, there are a different tell-tale signs to indicate ripe jackfruits. Also, the majority of supermarkets and farmer's markets will rarely indicate the cultivar of their produce so that makes choosing ripe jackfruits more difficult. Fortunately, there are some tell tale signs that indicate ripenessthat span across all varieties.
Ripe jackfruits would have shades ranging from bright yellow to light brown. If the jackfruit has dark patches on its skin, then that is also another indicator of ripeness. Now due to the various cultivars available, it is not possible to state that a certain fruit is ripe simply by seeing the spacing between the small spikes found on jackfruit skin. As a result, it is advised to press the jackfruit to check for firmness. The jackfruit should not be soft (too ripe) or hard (unripe) and should give off a delicate sweet smell reminiscent of mangoes and bananas.
Once a ripe jackfruit is chosen, it is necessary to keep in mind that approximately 30% of the total jackfruit would be edible. The rest of the jackfruit would consist of spines, skin and latex ooze. Therefore, if more ripe jackfruits are needed, it is advisable to buy them at once in order to avoid making multiple trips.
Once a ripe jackfruit is purchased, it is advisable to wear latex gloves prior to cutting into the jackfruit and to use an old cutting board. Also, smear some cooking oil on the knife to be used for cutting into the fruit. Keep some extra oil in place for periodically re-oiling the knife and to use later while washing your hands.
First cut the jackfruit in half and start to carve out the yellow arils in the flesh. With each cut into the jackfruit, white latex oozes out and coats the knife. Wipe the latex off the knife and re-oil before cutting again. Each individual aril would be covered with white fibers. Tear away the white fibers by hand a make a deep incision into each aril. Then remove the seed from each aril and keep aside. These seeds cannot be eaten raw but can be baked or boiled and then eaten or used in other dishes.
These yellow arils along with the seeds are the actual edible portions of the jackfruit. Peel off any white fibers left on the arils and give them a good rinse. These arils can be stored in the fridge for up to a week and used in a variety of dessert dishes such as jackfruit custard and jackfruit cakes or enjoyed as is.
jackfruit nutrition
