Jackfruit is a popular tropical fruit. Scientific name of jack fruit tree is Artocarpus heterophyllus and it belongs to the family Moraceae, the Mulberry Family. Jack trees are long-lived, perennial evergreen trees. Both the young, unripe and ripe jackfruits are used for food purposes. A detailed account of various food uses of jackfruits is given below:

Food Uses of Young/Unripe Jackfruits: Young, immature jackfruits are mildly-flavoured and have a meat-like texture; hence it can be prepared like meat by adding spices and herbs to make delicious curry dishes. Boiled young jackfruits can be used in salads or as a vegetable ingredient in mixed vegetable preparations or as filling in cutlets. Young jackfruit slices can be deep-fried in oil to make crispy, jackfruit chips. Young jackfruit slices can be canned to preserve it for a long time and this canned jackfruit may be used as a vegetable. In South India, young jackfruits are used as a staple food especially in times of food scarcity; jackfruit can be considered as a food security crop.

Food Uses of Ripe Jackfruits: Fresh, ripe jackfruit can be eaten fresh and it is a naturally sweet, mild-flavoured, delicious fruit. Jackfruit juice can be extracted from ripe, juicy jackfruit bulbs. Jackfruit can be preserved as a dried fruit, candied fruit, or as jackfruit jam. Dried fruit is made by air-drying or sun-drying fresh fruit slices. Concentrated jackfruit juice is used for making jackfruit candies. Fresh fruit slices can be preserved for a long time by canning in sugary syrup. Fresh fruit can be frozen in food-grade polybags for later uses. Jackfruit flesh may be used in the preparation of custards, cakes, and ice creams.

Food Uses of Jackfruit Seeds: Jackfruit seeds may be roasted and eaten like any other nuts. Powdered, roasted seeds are a good addition to baking flour. Boiled seeds can be consumed with salt as a vegetable as it is rich in edible starch. In South India, seeds are dried and preserved in soil or in covered earthenware to be used later; here seeds are used to make several vegetable preparations and most famous among them is, ‘aviyal,’ a mixed vegetable preparation.

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