Jackfruit! Yum! Ways to prepare and eat it!

Hey, guys and gals! So Jake and I experimented with something that I've wanted to try for a long time! Jackfruit! You know, the giant 20 pound fruit that kind of smells like a foot in your local Asian market? Yeah, that one! So anyways I bought it on a whim because I hate meat and what these poor animals have to go through to provide it for us but my husband loves the taste and texture. We've already replaced beef with black beans and eggplant so pork and chicken were next on the agenda! (already replaced eggs with tofu and milk with almond milk and coconut milk but, shhh he doesnt know!) Anyways, so here is a jackfruit cut in half!

To cut it open you need a very large knife that's been rubbed down with coconut oil, a pair of latex gloves, a cutting board, a bowl for the seeds and a colander for the flesh/bulbs. This is a very lengthy and messy process so be prepared to spend an hour of your time harvesting a 20-30lbs one and at least 2 hours for anything larger. You'll start by cutting it lengthwise like you would a water melon. You'll be cutting through seeds, bulbs and a rind so be prepared for some resistance. On top of that, there is a very gooey resin/pulp that is emmited from the fruit which is why you need the latex gloves to protect your hands and the coconut oil to protect the integrity of your knife. It isn't citrus but is still sorta acidic so your hands may swell if your skin is sensitive. The gloves protect from that. Once you've spent about 10 minutes cutting it open you'll see a semi-ripe fruit (for porklike texture) like the one above or a ripe fruit (if you want to eat it raw). The more ripe it is the more pungent the odor will be. Your average ripe jackfruit's exterior will have browning on the exterior as mine does except a little darker. Now comes the hard part....harvesting the flesh and seeds. Now the bulbs themselves come out easier the ripper the fruit is but it is very time consuming as there are layers upon layers of them.

The bulb looks like this after the seed is removed. To make it easier on yourself cut shallowly into the area around the rind (be careful not to cut into that precious meat!) and slowly work it out. Once the rind is removed cut the fruit in half lengthwise again then cut each fourth section into 3 equal sections along the width of the fruit. Once you've done that, turn it inside out like you would a mango. This will make it much easier to pull the bulbs out. Take your knife and run it under the flesh of the fruit until all bulbs are knocked off the section (be careful not to cut into the bulbs). Once you have your bulbs out take your nail and make a slice into the meat and push the seed out into your bowl. Make sure the white skin is off of the bulb and put your bulb in the colander. Dont worry if you cant get it all off. Once you rinse the fruit of all the pulp the skin comes right off. Make sure the seed pouch is out of the fruit as well. All of these parts are edible but not as tasty.

unskined bulbs

seed pocket

how to get the pocket and skin out

what the exterior should look like

what the interior should look like.

Now that you have harvested your bulbs and seeds rinse them separately for five minutes under warm water until no longer sticky or slimy. You should have about enough fruit to feed 10 people a hearty meal or 20 a nice dessert or snack. The fruit with the pulp tastes sort of like a grapefruit and without legitimately tastes like juicy fruit gum. I took enough bulbs to make "pulled bbq pork" and here are the results below.

without the sauce

with the sauce and shredded.

Now here is the kicker. Once they hit the hot pan it immediately smelled like I was frying chicken. With the salt and pepper added it smelled dead on like meat. The longer it cooked the more meaty consistency we got. It started turning white as well and expanded in size. Be warned, the fruit is very neutral so it absorbs the flavor of any sauce or seasoning ten fold! I added way too much bbq sauce for this dish! It shreds easily once cooked. I dont like meaty textures so I cooked it for 10 minutes but if you want it to be tough like meat then cook it for 20. It tasted dead on like pulled pork and my husband loved it. It is much more filling than meat and we could each eat only half a sandwich versus our usual two sandwiches. We didnt cook all of it and will probably have to give some to friends and family.

Now comes the seeds.

This is what they look like untouched and they are very soft and smell and taste like apples. You'll want to cook them to avoid gas pains. Wash them well and soak them for 10 minutes. I boiled mine but you can roast them or pan fry them. Make sure to cut slits in the seed on both sides to avoid "hopping" if you are going to roast or pan fry them.

I submerged the seeds under an inch of water and boiled them for 20 minutes. I then added salt and boiled them for 10 more minutes. To roast them put them in the oven 425°F for 20 minutes or pan-fry them at medium-high heat for 20 minutes.

After boiling you should be able to break them with your nails. Rinse them with cool water until the water goes from purple to clear. Make sure to skin them before eating them. Only eat the white center. There is a yellow film over the seeds that you will have to peel before skinning them. Once boiled they taste like a potato mixed with an apple and are quite good without or with salt. My husband didnt care for the texture though so be warned.

this is them after they are boiled

this is what they should look like after you peel them.

Anyways I hope I could help you guys find something exciting and new to try! This is the most versatile fruit out there and can literally save you from starving! I bought my fruit for $15 at Meijer but any Asian market should have them! You can also buy the bulbs and seeds canned! They are extremely healthy and nutritious and are great for any pregnant mommas out there! It helps the dads get some energy too! Good luck and have a great day!