15 Jackfruit Facts

Have you ever heard of the jackfruit? It’s in the family with fig trees, mulberry trees, and breadfruit. The fruit been described as having a flavor combination of a banana, mango, melon, and papaya. It sounds delicious! This low calorie, low fat fruit has a number of uses. The immature fruit can be used in cooking, while the ripe fruit can be eaten fresh, dried, or preserved. The seeds are also eaten after being boiled or roasted.

Check out more jackfruit facts!

The jackfruit tree originated in South Asia.
The fruit is native to the rain forests in Western Ghats, India.
It is primarily grown throughout the world’s tropical regions.
This fruit is not cultivated widely in the United States, but it can be found in Florida and Hawaii.
The tree thrives in a tropical climate where temperatures are warm and moist.
The tree can grow up to 100 feet high.
The fruit is made up of hundreds to thousands of individual flowers. The fleshly petals of the flower are what is eaten.
Jackfruit trees secrete white sticky latex like milk when cut into.
The lifespan of the tree is 60 to 70 years.
The fruit can grow up to 3 feet long and 18 inches wide. The surface is covered with blunt thorn-like ridges, which will soften as the fruit ripens.
In one year, a tree can produce up to 250 fruits.
Ripe jackfruit is eaten as a fruit; however, an unripe jackfruit is prepared as a vegetable.
The fruit is made up of 80% water. In comparison, a watermelon is about 92% water.
About 100 to 500 seeds could be found a jackfruit. They’re edible and are sometimes roasted or boiled.
The wood from jackfruit trees are known their resistance to termites and fungus, which makes it ideal wood for building.