FreshPoint

Description:

Jack Fruit originated in India and is the world’ s largest tree fruit, and can weigh up to 40 kilograms. The skin of the fruitis light green, deepening to yellow-brown when ripe, and covered in hard, knobby spines. Inside, the fruit is divided into numerous segments (pericarps) which are encased in stringy, white tissue of inferior quality known as ‘ rags’ . Each pericarp surrounds a large seed. Ripe Jack fruit is sweet and yellow to pink in color, depending on variety. When ripe, the fruit softens a little and will ‘ give’ when pushed. Ripe fruit exudes a musty, sweet aroma for a day or two before fruit is ideal for most purposes. Eat the segments out of hand, or slice and include in a fruit salad of other tropical fruits with flavors which can stand up to the sometimes aggressive fragrance of Jack watch out for the seeds, which can also be boiled and eaten, and are considered a delicacy in some countries. Unripe Jack Fruit is a staple starch source in many Asian and South Pacific countries, fried, roasted or boiled. When unripe the seeds are immature and easily sliced through. Before cutting the fruit, it is important to guard against the sticky latex. Immature fruit have more latex, so work near a sink and coat the knife, hands and the center of the cutting board with vegetable oil.