The process of knowing when jackfruit is ripe and ready to eat is welcomed by a strong smell.
How so? Well, this is because jackfruit fruits will announce their ripening with a distinct aroma as soon as they fit on the tree.
Another way of knowing when jackfruit is ripened is by looking at the skin with black spots, which would otherwise feel soft when pressed; however, if it is not ripe, it’s hard.
Ripened Jackfruit
A fully matured or ripened jackfruit can be pressed and tested with your fingers to check its softness.
If jackfruit does not feel tough or hardened, then it is ready to be harvested.
You can also try another method by tapping on the fruit’s skin to check, but this requires experience and knowledge.
How To Distinguish Ripe Jackfruit from Non-Ripe Jackfruit
The ripest jackfruit has a distinctive sweet and fruity aroma that is notable. A ripened jackfruit skin color changes from green to yellowish-brown like bananas when ripe.
The unripe jackfruit usually looks green and is usually firm when pressed with fingers. However, ripe jackfruits are often soft and yield to pressure.
The skin of the fruit should give in to pressure. This will indicate that the fruit is ready to be cut open.
How to Ripen a Jackfruit Fast?
To boost the ripening process of jackfruits, place them outside in direct sunlight for a few hours or more. However, if you want to slow the ripening process of the jackfruit, it would be ideal to store the fruit in the refrigerator.
Why to Identify a Ripe Jackfruit
- When Jackfruits are ripe, they have golden brown skin
- When jackfruits are ripe, they usually have a hollow sound when tapped
- When Jackfruits are ripe, they usually have a rounded shape
- When Jackfruits are ripe, they will feel soft to pressure
- When Jackfruits are ripe, they have a strong aroma that is notable
How Does Jackfruit Taste When They Are Ripe?
When jackfruits are ripe, they taste juicy like fruit gum with a sweet, subtle flavor and can be used to make a variety of dishes, including custards, cakes.
To describe the flavor of jackfruit, it tastes like a cross between banana and pineapple together. Its texture is smoother than that of pineapple. However, it has the same firm consistency.
How Jackfruit Look When Cut Open
When jackfruits are split/cut open, they look weird inside but it’s all good to eat with a banana’s yellow flesh and brown slippery seeds inside the flesh. Some people often cook the seeds and eat them.
How Long Does Jackfruit Take to Fully Ripe?
The time it takes jackfruit to ripe on the tree is about 2 – 3 months when it completes its maximum growth size of 35kg. The sweetness of the fruit is always notable as well.
Once the jackfruit fruit is ripe, it will start to degrade rapidly with spots and smells. placing the fruit in a Refrigerator will slow the process and allow the ripe fruit to be kept for weeks.
Why does Jackfruit Smell Bad When Ripe?
The reason Jackfruit has a strong smell when ripe is due to the presence of aromatic compounds found in the flesh of the fruit. There are 35 compounds that have been found from fresh jackfruit and of these 35, 24 compounds are esters in nature.
What is an Ester?
An Esters are an organic compound that contributes to the aroma of many different fruits. Nevertheless, scientists have yet to isolate the specific compounds that contribute to the unique smell of jackfruit.
Related Read: Why Jackfruit Grow On Tree Trunks And Not The Branches?
