JACK FRUIT IN KURAKAR GARDEN’S
On an average, each tree can yield around 250 fruits in the season, which usually starts from March and lasts till July. Only 30 per cent of the fruit is edible. Every 100gm of jackfruit yields 88 calories of energy. Jackfruit is low in protein and fat. It also contains fairly good amounts of carotene, thiamine, riboflavin, miacin and Vitamin C. Other nutrients present in the jackfruit are fibre, calcium and iron. Jackfruit seeds are also nutritious, but they contain a powerful enzyme inhibiter (carbonic hydrase) which can sometimes cause stomach upsets. The pulp of the young fruit is cooked as a starchy food and also pickled or canned in brine. The ripe fruit is eaten fresh or is made into numerous delicacies including jam, jelly and chutney.
The jackfruit tree is believed to be indigenous to the south western rain forests of India. It is widely cultivated in the tropical regions of Indian subcontinent, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Brazil for its fruit, seeds and wood. The tree grows best under tropical humid and rainy regions but rarely survives cold and frosty conditions, grows to as high as 30 meters, higher than the mango tree.
During the season, each tree bears as many as 250 large fruits, supposed to be the largest tree borne fruit in the world The fruit varies widely in size, weigh from 3 to 30 kg and has oblong or round shape measuring 10 cm to 60 cm in length, 25 to 75 cm in diameter. The unripe fruits are green in color; When ripen, might turn to light brown color and gives pungent smell.
Like durian fruit its outer surface is covered with blunt thorn like projections which become soft in ripened fruit. The interior consists of orange-yellow colored edible bulbs. Each bulb consists of sweet flavored sheaths that enclose a smooth, oval, light-brown color seed.
Jack fruit seed is 2 to 4 cm long and 1 to 3 cm thick and is white and crisp within. There may be as many as 100 to 500 edible bulbs embedded in a single fruit interspersed between thin bands of fibers. Almost all the parts of the tree gives white sticky latex like juice when injured.
Health benefits of jackfruit
- The fruit is made of soft, easily digestible flesh (bulbs) with simple sugars like fructose and sucrose that when eaten replenishes energy and revitalizes the body instantly.
- Jack-fruit is rich in dietary fiber, which makes it a good bulk laxative. The fiber content helps to protect the colon mucous membrane by decreasing exposure time and as well as binding to cancer causing chemicals in the colon.
- Fresh fruit is an excellent source of Vitamin-A, which has powerful antioxidant properties and is essential for vision. Vitamin A is also required for maintaining integrity of mucus membranes and skin and to boost immunity. Consumption of natural fruits rich in vitamin-A known to protect from lung and oral cavity cancers.
- It is also rich in antioxidant flavonoids like β-carotene and lutein. These antioxidants are found to be protective against colon, prostate, breast, endometrial, lung, and pancreatic cancers.
- It is one of the rare fruit that is rich in B-complex group of vitamins. It contains very good amounts of vitamin B-6 (pyridoxine), niacin, riboflavin and folic acid.
- Jack fruit is also good source of antioxidant vitamin-C; provides about 11% of RDA. Consumption of foods rich in vitamin C helps body develop resistance against infectious agents and scavenge harmful free radicals.
- Fresh fruit is a good source of potassium, magnesium, manganese and iron. Potassium in an important component of cell and body fluids that helps controlling heart rate and blood pressure Jack fruit seeds are indeed very rich in protein and nutritious. In general, the seeds are gathered from ripe fruit, sun dried and stored for use in rainy season. Different variety of recipes prepared in Southern India where they are eaten either by roasting as a snack or added to curries
Prof. John Kurakar
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