When is the latest jackfruit season?
Jackfruit is also known as boluomi, wood pineapple, tree pineapple, etc. It is an evergreen tree of the genus Artocarpus in the mulberry family, native to India in tropical Asia. It was introduced to China from India during the Sui and Tang dynasties, and in the Song dynasty it was renamed jackfruit, a name still used today. Its nutritional value is very high, and the flesh has the effects of quenching thirst, promoting lactation, and tonifying the middle and boosting qi. Now let us take a look at when jackfruit goes on the market!
When is jackfruit in season?
Jackfruit is the heaviest fruit in the world. It usually flowers from February to March and matures and goes on the market from September to October. When the fruit is ripe, its skin is yellowish-brown, with wart-like protrusions and coarse hairs on the surface. A single fruit generally weighs 5 to 20 kg, and the heaviest exceeds 59 kg. It is widely cultivated in Fujian, Taiwan, China, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan and other places in China, and is also cultivated in Nepal, Sikkim in India, Bhutan and Malaysia.
How much does jackfruit cost per jin?
The market price of jackfruit is about 4 to 5 yuan per jin (jackfruit weighs 5 to 20 kg, with the heaviest exceeding 59 kg), while the price of dried jackfruit is about 40 to 50 yuan per jin. In fact, the main factors affecting the price of jackfruit are the place of sale and the time. If you buy it in Hainan, it is certainly cheap, but once you leave Hainan it becomes expensive, and the farther north you go, the more expensive it gets. At the same time, when jackfruit is in large supply on the market, the price will be much cheaper.
How to select jackfruit
1. Color: Ripe jackfruit is generally golden yellow in color. If the jackfruit is not yet fully ripe, it may have a bit of green. Green is the natural color of jackfruit. When the ripe season arrives, its size basically does not change, and the color slowly turns golden yellow. But this does not mean that jackfruit that is not golden yellow cannot be bought. Green jackfruit can also be purchased. After you buy it and leave it for two or three days, it will slowly ripen and turn yellow.
2. Outer skin: High-quality jackfruit has an intact outer skin, with relatively many pointed “small nails” or “spikes” on it, which is also a special feature of jackfruit's outer skin. A few small black spots on the outer skin are normal, and are also a normal phenomenon in ripe jackfruit. However, if these small black spots are very numerous or connect into a patch of black, then you should be careful. Pay attention to whether the black areas have rotted. If they have rotted, handle them cautiously.
3. Size: The size of jackfruit has no reference value, because jackfruit sizes vary unevenly, and size is not a problem. At this time, what you look at is the size of the “nails” on the surface. Jackfruit that is still in the growth and development stage has relatively sharp “nails” on its skin, because it is in a state of growth. During the ripening period, the “nails” on the skin are more low-key and conservative, a bit softer, but generally the tips of the “nails” have already become somewhat shrunken.
4. Smell: After jackfruit ripens, it has a relatively strong fragrance, and the skin will crack slightly. At the cracked areas, the fragrance is even stronger.
5. Taste test: Opinions on the taste of jackfruit vary from person to person, but if after cutting it open you find that the inside has rotted, treat it cautiously and stop eating it if necessary.