Description

Young Jackfruit in Brine

What is a jackfruit?

Jackfruit is a tree-borne fruit that is native to south Asia and has several unique characteristics to it. First of all, it is the largest fruit in size in the world, often growing larger than 70cm in length and 40cm in diameter, and weighing more than 30kg. Secondly, it can be eaten when it is ripe as a fruit or unripe as a vegetable. In the fruit state, the fleshy yellow or bright orange pods are rather sweet, having a taste of a mix between pineapples and bananas. They can be eaten directly or used to prepare sweet dishes and desserts. At the same time, the seeds that are removed from the ripe pods can be used for curries, boiled or roasted and used as a nut substitute in some recipes or a substitute for a chocolate flavour.

In the unripe condition, the inside of the fruit is not yet formed and appears as a whitish pulp with the texture of pulled meat. This state of the fruit is called ‘young jackfruit’ or ‘polos’, as we call it in Sri Lanka, and is used to prepare curries, salads, soups and side dishes, as it has a very subtle flavour of its own and takes the flavour of the dish when prepared. This makes it a very versatile vegetable, allowing you to fully utilise your culinary imagination.

Is there any nutritional value in jackfruit?

Due to its nutritional value, young jackfruit is considered being an important food in many diets; it is even hailed as the solution for malnutrition around the world. Apart from being a good source of nutrients, jackfruit is also a medicinal plant, where the roots, bark, leaves, flowers, pulps and seeds all have separate medicinal qualities and are widely used in Ayurveda medicine.

Young jackfruit has approximately 95kcal of calories, 38g of carbs, 3g of protein, and 2g of fat per 100g. The majority of jackfruit is made of water, but it provides a good amount of fibre to the diet as well. It packs major vitamins of C, A, and E, and is one of the few fruits to contain the vitamin B-complex consisting of vitamin B6, thiamine (B1), niacin (B3), riboflavin (B2), pantothenic acid (B5), and folate (B9). It also is a good source of important minerals, such as potassium, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, sodium, iron, zinc and manganese. And has active antioxidants in the form of vitamin C, carotenoids, and flavanones.

What are its benefits?

The above-mentioned nutrients are believed to provide jackfruit with some important and many sought-after properties, among which are:

• Strengthening the immune system;
• Reducing fatigue and stress;
• Preventing cancer cell formation;
• Developing cancer resistance;
• Preventing ulcer formation;
• Improving overall sleep quality;
• Helping in fighting insomnia;
• Helping in controlling blood sugar levels;
• Helping in controlling high blood pressure;
• Helping to prevent heart disease;
• Helping to prevent stroke;
• Helping to control weight;
• Normalising bowel movements and reducing constipation;
• Maintaining skin, eye and bone health.

On one hand, the nutrients found in jackfruit help protect and prevent harm to the organs. On the other hand, they help replenish the lost nutrients and thus rebuild them and as a result favourably improve their well-being.

Enjoying young jackfruit to its fullest

Although jackfruit is a safe and widely used plant, with an increase in allergic reactions due to bad overall ecology in many urban areas, very rarely it may cause a mild allergic reaction in people who have an allergy to birch pollen.

From the practical side of things, the main difficulties with jackfruit come from its sticky sap when you handle the fresh fruit itself. It gums up your knife and hands and creates quite a mess around. One of the solutions is to apply cooking oil to your hand and knife abundantly before use.

The other problem is the shelf life of fresh fruit. It starts going bad very quickly if it starts to ripen.

An easier and more available solution to the above two problems is getting the pre-prepared young jackfruit.

Ranre Foods Young Jackfruit in Brine was made just keeping you in mind, removing all hazards and obstacles you may face when handling a raw jackfruit. The quality processes, state-of-the-art machinery and high hygienic conditions sustained throughout the production process allow you to enjoy this versatile and very nutritious vegetable to its fullest capacity with modern ease. All you have to do from your side is to choose the recipe. Or just enjoy it as it is with a dash of pepper to your liking.