Author Topic: Jackfruit - a second (or 3rd?) opinion  (Read 2757 times)

LivingParadise

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Jackfruit - a second (or 3rd?) opinion
« on: August 05, 2017, 01:34:39 PM »
Well, for those who have not had a chance to taste jackfruit yet, I thought I would post this.

I was confused by jackfruit, because I know a lot of people like it, and I was always excited to try it. But I never came across a good one. I tried some canned, and it was rubbery, had a smell that I found nauseating, and a taste that kind of hurt my stomach. Hard to describe, but kind of bland, and yet like chewing on a fruit that miraculously combined overripe cantaloupe with rubber tires and the faint smell of fish. I tried some fresh that was equally unpleasant and disappointing. I love the way it looks from the outside, and as a plant, and of course it produces huge quantities so I really wanted to like it.

I found some in an Asian grocery and since it was a fair price and I didn't have to buy the entire fruit, I decided to try again. I'm glad I did! I don't know what variety this is, nor what variety the others were, but this one has no noticeable latex, tastes sweet, is still a little rubbery but less so, smells more like cantaloupe than fish (lol), and tastes a remarkable amount like cake. What kind of cake? I don't know... some generic yellow or white cake with sweet white frosting. I'm not really a cake person, so I still wouldn't say this is my favorite fruit, but it's definitely pleasant tasting, and I would be really excited to have a tree that produced whole fruits of this. I can definitely see how lemon flavored ones, like the variety I am growing in my yard, would be really desired... a little acidity and complexity would improve this flavor a lot. So if I'm lucky enough for my current little sapling to reach maturity and fruit, that would be great.

As I understand it, jackfruit is hugely useful when underripe as a meat substitute, and the plentiful seeds are also edible and compared to lotus seed and chestnuts.

Another benefit was one slice of jackfruit the size of a slice of watermelon (maybe 3/4" thick x 4-5" wide at the base?) made me completely full! I tried to eat a little more, because I was still really curious about the flavor which is totally new to me for a fruit, but it just made me sick, lol. So easy to eat in moderation, contains a decent amount of fiber, and has a ton of health benefits to boot!: http://www.healthbeckon.com/jackfruit-fruit-benefits/

So happily, this wedge I bought contained a bunch of seeds... haven't eaten it all yet to get to them, but I would guess maybe 20? So hopefully one or more will sprout and I can grow jackfruit around my yard, and someday be able to give it away as gifts and have a major food source of fruit, vegetable, and protein all in one plant!

Plus, now my hands smell like cake...  :)

beefyboy

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Re: Jackfruit - a second (or 3rd?) opinion
« Reply #1 on: August 05, 2017, 01:41:54 PM »
Jackfruit may be full of nutrients but as a protein source I would not count on it. Any protein in the fruit family is going to be inferior in many key amino acids, making it incomplete protein no matter how many grams of protein it contains. You have to look at NPU values, which means net protein Utilization and also PER values which means Protein efficiency ratio. If they score well on these two factors, then it would be a good source of protein. Unfortunately, someone hyped this fruit as being of protein value, and frankly, it is impossible to see it as such.

LivingParadise

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Re: Jackfruit - a second (or 3rd?) opinion
« Reply #2 on: August 05, 2017, 01:59:03 PM »
Jackfruit may be full of nutrients but as a protein source I would not count on it. Any protein in the fruit family is going to be inferior in many key amino acids, making it incomplete protein no matter how many grams of protein it contains. You have to look at NPU values, which means net protein Utilization and also PER values which means Protein efficiency ratio. If they score well on these two factors, then it would be a good source of protein. Unfortunately, someone hyped this fruit as being of protein value, and frankly, it is impossible to see it as such.

The protein comes from the seeds, not the fruit. Many plant proteins are complete proteins, making them every bit as high quality as an animal protein. I don't know about the specific protein profile of jack seeds. I would not be growing jackfruit purely as a protein source. But it certainly helps add to the value of the plant, and I can't imagine anyone denying that as a fact. Jackfruit is rated as one of the most useful plants in the world, with one of the productive, diverse, and most easily grown food sources. It's not hard to see why.

beefyboy

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Re: Jackfruit - a second (or 3rd?) opinion
« Reply #3 on: August 05, 2017, 05:14:57 PM »
I knew you probably thought that but again, the same statement I made is correct and accurate. all parts of any fruit are incomplete protein.  No seed or nut for that matter is complete protein, this is just factual.

beefyboy

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Re: Jackfruit - a second (or 3rd?) opinion
« Reply #4 on: August 05, 2017, 05:16:59 PM »
You will starve to death waiting for enough seeds to harvest anyway, even if it were worth a damn.

shot

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Re: Jackfruit - a second (or 3rd?) opinion
« Reply #5 on: August 05, 2017, 06:05:50 PM »
 seeds are tasty pan roasted

sildanani

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Re: Jackfruit - a second (or 3rd?) opinion
« Reply #6 on: August 05, 2017, 06:32:11 PM »
I have not had access to the freshest jackfruit. But the fresh precut jackfruit from the store is nice! Some people don't like the smell, but I love it. :) Canned and frozen was icky to me. Frozen especially had a mushy texture that I found to be undesirable. I have also tried is frozen/unripe. I have heard good things about the taste of the unripe fruits. I tried it curried and didn't care for it. I have yet to try the roasted seeds. They sound good. I do like breadfruit/ulu chips though! But that's different of course. I germinated several seeds out of curiosity. Maybe they'll make a good rootstock? I'd love to grow it if I could keep it under 12 ft. That would take some vigorous pruning!
« Last Edit: August 05, 2017, 06:35:07 PM by sildanani »
Anisha

LivingParadise

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Re: Jackfruit - a second (or 3rd?) opinion
« Reply #7 on: August 06, 2017, 10:38:12 AM »
You will starve to death waiting for enough seeds to harvest anyway, even if it were worth a damn.
I knew you probably thought that but again, the same statement I made is correct and accurate. all parts of any fruit are incomplete protein.  No seed or nut for that matter is complete protein, this is just factual.

Wow, aren't you a genius? Too bad you don't have the reading comprehension skills to notice that I already said I wouldn't be growing them for the protein (so have no reason to give a damn whether they're a complete protein or not, as if partial proteins are somehow not worth eating anyway). I'm not sure the point of leaving a trail of negative comments that are tangential to the topic, just so you can talk to yourself. But I hope it makes you feel like the special person you clearly are. It takes skill to have that kind of charm with total strangers. All I did was post a pleasant comment about enjoying the taste of a fruit, and its many potential benefits. What you do with that pleasant comment is completely up to you.

beefyboy

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Re: Jackfruit - a second (or 3rd?) opinion
« Reply #8 on: August 06, 2017, 07:55:43 PM »
Your statement was only partially accurate when speaking of being confused by Jackfruit in your opening line. You sound like your confused about life with such stupid nonsense you spout off about.

bsbullie

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Re: Jackfruit - a second (or 3rd?) opinion
« Reply #9 on: August 06, 2017, 08:17:58 PM »
Your statement was only partially accurate when speaking of being confused by Jackfruit in your opening line. You sound like your confused about life with such stupid nonsense you spout off about.

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