Of all the tropical exotics, jackfruit has the largest size. So large that the branches cannot support the weight of a fully ripe fruit, and it is usually attached to the tree trunk. And one more thing: do not confuse it for its external resemblance to durian...however, you will not confuse it: our hero does not have the stench inherent in durian with (as experts say) a divine taste.
And the second, more familiar name for jackfruit is breadfruit. So keep that in mind as you continue reading this material.
Historical excursion
Jackfruit is native to India and Bangladesh. The fruit of this breadfruit is sometimes called the national dish of Bangladesh, and since this country is one of the poorest in the world, these fruits are called “the bread of the poor.”
The pulp is full of useful substances, and the fruit itself is used as a whole because of its richness in carbohydrates (there are more of them in it than in wheat), and in candied or pickled form it is a common food product for wide sections of the population.
The coarse fiber inside is used as animal feed, and the seeds are eaten roasted. An important resource is wood with a beautiful golden range of shades of gray-brown: it is used to make musical instruments and to create furniture.
Jackfruit is native to India and Bangladesh.
Conditions necessary for successful growth of breadfruit at home
Growing breadfruit is not difficult, the main thing is to create and maintain the necessary conditions:
- fertile and loose soil;
- temperature not lower than 5 degrees and not higher than 35 degrees;
- high air humidity;
- constant soil moisture.
Ideal conditions will speed up the growth of jackfruit
As soon as the bush grows in size, it is necessary to transplant it into larger pots. If it is not replanted in time, growth stops, the above-ground part becomes dull and withers.
Such signs often puzzle gardeners and flower growers; they do not understand why the plant does not develop. The roots begin to put pressure on the soil, and it hardens; the plant has nowhere else to take nutrients.
The plant, called breadfruit, can also grow in northern latitudes. Despite the fact that its harvest will not be as rich as in its homeland, it is able to delight with juicy and healthy fruits almost all year round.
Botanical description
Belongs to the evergreen mulberry family. Individual specimens of breadfruit in favorable conditions can grow up to 25 meters in height. The leaves are large, up to 20 cm long, rich green. Edible.
The fruit has a dense shell, its usual weight is within 10 kg, although individual specimens can grow up to a meter long and weigh up to 40 kg. Flowers are located both on the branches and on the trunk. The first ones are small, 5 - 1 centimeter in diameter, and small and medium-sized fruits grow from them.
But those on the trunks have a basket diameter of up to 20 cm and the corresponding fruits grow from them. The time from flowering to fruit ripening usually takes 7-8 months, but this process is not seasonal, but constant.
Jackfruit blossom
Notes[edit | edit code]
- ↑ For the convention of indicating the class of dicotyledons as a superior taxon for the group of plants described in this article, see the section “APG Systems” of the article “Dicotyledons”.
- ↑ Balick, M. & Cox, P. (1996). Plants, People and Culture: The Science of Ethnobotany. New York: Scientific American Library HPHLP, p.85
- ↑ A. Maxwell P. Jones, Jerome A. Klun, Charles L. Cantrell, Diane Ragone, Kamlesh R. Chauhan, Paula N. Brown, and Susan J. Murch.
Isolation and Identification of Mosquito (Aedes aegypti) Biting Deterrent Fatty Acids from Male Inflorescences of Breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis (Parkinson) Fosberg) (English) : journal. - 2012. - Vol. 60, no. 15. - P. 3867—3873. - doi:10.1021/jf300101w. - ↑ Studies Confirm Breadfruit's Ability to Repel Insects
- ↑ DISCOVERY AND DEVELOPMENT OF CHEMICALS FOR INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT OF BITING ARTHROPODS AND URBAN PESTS
What does jackfruit look like?
The breadfruit tree of the tropics has oval fruits with spiky skins that are light green or beige-brown in color. The shell, depending on the subspecies of breadfruit, can be spiky, lumpy, or even smooth; its structure depends on the variety and maturity of each fruit.
The pulp inside is cellular, each individual lobe contains a large edible bone, which, after boiling or frying, resembles a soft large bean. It is also used as an aphrodisiac. Slices of yellow or dim orange color sit tightly inside on the inside of the peel.
The structure of the pulp, depending on the variety or degree of ripeness, can be viscous, crispy or soft.
Fruit
Fruits that ripen on breadfruit are spherical or pear-shaped. They are large - up to 30 cm in diameter, weighing 4 kilograms or more. The peel consists of many small pyramidal cones-spikes. Unripe fruits are light green in color; as they ripen, they change color to yellowish, then become yellow-brown. The peculiarity of breadfruit is that all its parts contain latex juice. This is a milky liquid secreted by the pores of the plant. The ripeness of the fruit is determined by the small droplets that appear on the skin. In cross-section, the fruit has a light-colored fibrous structure.
Jackfruit season in Thailand
There is no season as such tied to a specific time of year in Thailand. The “season” here is usually associated with some kind of holiday, and the breadfruit itself in this country symbolizes protection, support and help, being a symbol of physical health, happiness and good luck. Therefore, this tree can probably be found in almost every home.
Although there are, of course, the most “bread months”. This is the period from January to May, when Thais begin to massively prepare jackfruit in the form of marinades, sweet preparations, and also store it for long-term (six months) storage.
How to grow breadfruit from a seed at home
To grow jackfruit at home, it is important to maintain regular watering and high humidity levels. The tropical plant does not like high temperatures and dry climate conditions. Low temperatures and frosts are also harmful to healthy growth. In the northern regions of Russia and Siberia, the plant will not take root and will not grow.
It is better to grow jackfruit in a special cabinet called a “Growbox”. The unusually named structure is a small greenhouse with ideal conditions for the growth of exotic plants. It will save a lot of time and make maintenance much easier.
Growing breadfruit from seeds
A description of how to grow jackfruit at home from seeds cannot be called complicated, nor is the growing process itself.
Attention! First, you need to remove the seeds from the fruit and place them in water for one day. Sow one seed in a small pot to a depth of no more than 3 centimeters. After this, the soil in all pots is lightly watered and placed in a room with a temperature of no more than 26 degrees.
It is necessary to constantly moisten the soil in pots. As soon as 4 leaves appear on the ascended trunk, the seedlings are transplanted into larger containers.
Saplings in a pot
How to choose and eat
Smell and taste of breadfruit
In not quite ripe and fully ripe breadfruits, both the taste and smell are often radically different. Those who try these fruits for the first time usually cannot decide what they look like.
But from the second time they decide for themselves which notes of taste will prevail. For some it is the taste of pineapple and chocolate, for others it is the taste of strawberry and banana combined.
The smell of the ripe one is reminiscent of banana and pineapple at the same time, and for people with a sensitive sense of smell, there are also notes of acetone in the amber. Or duchess - whoever likes which definition. But all the dissonant smells of the breadfruit come not from the edible pulp, but from the peel.
Criterias of choice
To fully appreciate this exotic, you need not only to choose it correctly, but also to avoid purchasing an overripe product from the very beginning - otherwise a bad impression of it will remain for the rest of your life.
To select a ripe jackfruit, pay attention to the sound the fruit makes when tapped. It should be dull, indicating the looseness and softness of the internal components
Ripe fruit is selected based on the following characteristics:
- Dense, but pressed under your fingers. No hardness of stone.
- Elastic peel, without dents, damage, or liquefaction. The color is yellow-green or tinged with brown. Unripe breadfruit has a green skin color.
- The aroma is subtle, not aggressive - like overripe fruits.
- When you try to tap the fruit, the sound turns out to be ringing - as opposed to overripe jackfruits, which respond with a dull knock.
When stored at the temperature usual for the life of the fruit, the peeled fruit quickly deteriorates, withstanding without damage or an unacceptable change in taste for two, maximum three days. But in a cool place and in the peel it can be stored for months. In a warm place - up to a week. Therefore, if you want to bring this exotic home from Thailand, then you have every chance to do so.
In the freezer, peeled slices of pulp can be stored indefinitely.
How to peel fruit
Proper cleaning of jackfruit includes the following steps:
- remove the stalk;
- cut in half meridionally, like a melon or watermelon. If the specimen is large, then cut the halves in half again, into slices;
- the peel contains latex, which will be difficult to wash off later, so cutting the opened pulp is done using rubber gloves;
- the inedible core is removed;
- press on the outside of the peel, which will force the slices with pulp to separate from its inside.
- Take out the slices from the fibers and open them, taking out the seeds from them.
To make the peel softer and easier to peel, and the slices to be easily separated, it is better to pick the fruit a couple of days before you start eating it.
How to eat
Breadfruit can be eaten both as a vegetable and as a fruit, depending on the stage of ripeness at which it is picked.
- Overripe: better not to eat at all.
- Unripe - eaten as a vegetable. To do this, the pulp of slightly unripe fruits can be boiled, fried, stewed, baked - with meat and fish sauces, salt and spices. Such slightly unripe slices still contain very little sugar, and what is there fits well with the tradition of cooking in Southeast Asia and China with their sweet and sour sauces. For example, you can first rub a bird carcass with salt, stuff it with breadfruit slices and bake it like that.
- Ripe. These are eaten fresh or simply processed in some way. Sweet crushed slices can be added to ice cream, desserts, or made into marmalade or jelly. By adding a little sugar, cook the jam for filling in baked goods, and sometimes just bake it, like we bake apples.
Ripe jackfruit
The seeds taken from the slices are fried and eaten "o'naturel", the leaves, chopped, are added to fruit salads or used in the manner of cabbage or grapes in our country to prepare a dish reminiscent of cabbage rolls, and the flowers with their delicate aroma and sweet nectar can become flavorings for sauces, salads, desserts.
Calorie content and chemical composition of jackfruit
First of all, the calorie content of jackfruit is due to the presence of a huge amount of carbohydrates in them. And the vitamin-mineral complex inherent in the vast majority of fruits makes breadfruit desirable on any table in any cuisine in the world - if you want to diversify it.
But you need to remember about its calorie content: in fresh slices or in fried seeds, the number of calories can reach 97 per 100 g of product (canned ones have a little less).
If we analyze the composition, the following picture emerges:
- Vegetable proteins – up to 1.47%
- Fats – 0.22%
- Carbohydrates – up to 23.4%
- Dietary fiber (fiber) – 1.6%
- Water – up to 75
As you can see, it surpasses white wheat bread in terms of richness of ingredients. This is probably why (and not just because of rice) wheat is not at all popular as a food.
If you consider the vitamin composition, then most of all you will find folic acid B6 and vitamin A, and a huge amount of microelements, where potassium will be the leader.
The calorie content of jackfruit is due to the presence of a huge amount of carbohydrates in them.
Growing at home
A special variety of jackfruit is cultivated at home. It is highly valued in India for its affordability and rich composition. The fruits of the plant are eaten regardless of the degree of ripening. The maximum weight of 1 piece is 18 kg. Ripe jackfruit tastes like melon. The seeds of this plant are also eaten, usually fried.
I will tell you how to grow a houseplant jackfruit at home. It is recommended to keep it as a masonry plant. So, you will need to take a ripe jackfruit and remove the seeds. Place them in warm water and soak for 24 hours. I do not recommend storing planting material for a long time, otherwise it will lose its viability.
Plant your houseplant in a 1 liter container. It feels good in a soil mixture of 40% peat, 40% sand and 20% humus.
For proper air exchange, place expanded clay on the bottom of the pot. Before sowing jackfruit in the prepared soil mixture, moisten it. Place the seeds to a depth of 3 cm. It is recommended to keep them in a pot in a cool, dry room.
When the seedlings turn into seedlings, you will need to pick, that is, transplant them into separate containers
When carrying out the procedure, be careful not to damage fragile parts of the plant, including roots. Jackfruit needs sunlight, I recommend keeping it on a windowsill
At the end of autumn this plant has a dormant period.
Remember that breadfruit always needs moisture. Add water frequently, but do not flood the pan. After some time, you will need to prune the plant. Jackfruit does not tolerate picking well, just like any other crop. But if you do not replant it, flowering will be disrupted. The next container should be several centimeters larger than the previous one.
Now we know where the unique tree grows and how its fruits are useful. Even novice gardeners can grow the Jackfruit variety!
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Beneficial features
Including jackfruit in your diet will support the healthy and improve the health of the weakened.
- Many people are surprised by how young old people in Southeast Asian countries look with their wrinkle-free skin and elastic, shiny hair. So it’s not surprising - the work of provitamin A and riboflavin is obvious in the literal and figurative sense.
- The fiber in the pulp removes harmful salts and heavy metals from the body and cleanses the intestines.
- Folic acid and magnesium stimulate the work of the hematopoietic organs - the spleen and bone marrow.
The healing qualities of jackfruit
For digestion
A large amount of fiber in the lobules of all degrees of maturity helps intestinal motility and cleanses the feces accumulated there from the folds of the colon. In addition, jackfruit inhibits the effects of alcohol, so if you need to keep a clear head before a business meeting, then you should eat this fruit.
Jackfruit inhibits the effects of alcohol
Against cancer
- Phytonutrients from the fruit inhibit aging, remove free radicals from cells and intercellular space, and therefore have anti-cancer properties.
Positive effect on the thyroid gland
- Copper in breadfruit improves the functioning of the endocrine system (in particular, the thyroid gland).
For healthy skin and vision
Vitamins C, B2, A have a positive effect on vision
Reduces blood pressure
- Jackfruit with its abundance of potassium, which lowers blood pressure, is a salvation for hypertensive patients.
Prevents anemia
- For people with a tendency to anemia, their benefits include a large amount of iron in the fruits.
To strengthen the immune system
- The immune system is supported by a high amount of vitamin C, strengthening the immune system and killing pathogenic microflora.
To strengthen bones
- Fights bone fragility, since phosphorus and magnesium in the pulp and grains of the fruit contribute to the normal absorption of calcium.
Recipes on how to use
Vegetarians around the world have long appreciated this fruit, especially in its unripe form. The fact is that slices of not quite ripe, slightly sweet breadfruit, when grilled or stewed with spices and salt, completely replace meat. They even have a “meaty” taste.
Jackfruit Vegan meat
Its advantage over meat is also manifested in the fact that jackfruit does not contain gluten, sodium, is not a source of cholesterol, and its yellow or orange color does not depend on dyes.
You can also marinate unripe slices with barbecue or shish kebab sauce for half an hour and then fry them.
Add to any vegetable soup.
Finely chop and prepare a paste with the jackfruit pulp.
For adherents of traditional nutrition, jackfruit, after peeling the seeds (or without doing so), you can stuff duck, chicken, turkey and bake them in the oven.
Chopped slices can be added to vegetable stews and even to vinaigrettes.
