JACK-FRUIT----(THE LARGEST FRUIT TO GROW ON A TREE)

The heart of the jackfruit is also used to make the yellow dye for monks robes

My computer table and desk , I cut a jackfruit tree down and had the wood sawed into boards and gave to man to make me a table , I love the color . No stain was added to color the wood all natural color

Another shot of my desk or table

I don't know how the limbs can hold these heavy fruits without breaking (some can weigh 50 lbs.)

This is younger fruit

Small pieces cut from the fruit to get to the eatable part of the fruit

These are the small segments or pods that are eatable and contain the seed

The seeds are good to eat , roast them and they taste like a chestnut

These pods are very sticky and you have to be careful not to get on your counter and knife .

This pictures shows the prickly side of the fruit, that you have to cut thru to get to the pod segments inside . These are very sweet when ripe and a lot of folks like to cook them green as a subsitute for meat , and also to boil and put in a Thai soup.

Yesterday Ciejay went in the field behind our house where there is a huge jack-fruit tree and cut off one of the fruits ready and ripe (you can tell by the smell), and you can't believe how big it was , it must have weighted 25 lbs. at least.
I love jack-fruit , but it is really hard to peel and cut and get the fruit out as it is filled with a rubber juice that keeps most folks from cutting and eating them , but Ciejay has a way of doing it and does not get to much rubber on everything .We had it for a fruit dessert after dinner and it was the sweetest one I have eaten in all my 6 years here in the LOS . Not only was there enough for us , but she divided it among all the neighbors and they were all thankful, that they did'nt have to cut and clean out for themselves . Not only is Jack-fruit great to eat but the wood from the tree is prized for it's quality to make musical instruments, the wood has a wonderful yellow color that makes beautiful furniture (see the picture of my table) and the heart of the wood is used to make the dye to color the robes for the Thai monks.
Jackfruit
By Darlene Schmidt, About.com Guide
Definition: Enormous and prickly on the outside, jackfruit looks somewhat like durian (though jackfruit is usually even larger). Once a jackfruit is cracked open, what you will find inside are pods or "bulbs". Often referred to as the seeds, these bulbs are actually a kind of fleshy covering for the true seeds or pits, which are round and dark like chesnuts. The fleshy part (the "bulb") can be eaten as is, or cut up and cooked. When unripe (green), it is remarkably similar in texture to chicken, making jackfruit an excellent vegetarian substitute for meat. In fact, canned jackfruit (in brine) is sometimes referred to as "vegetable meat".
Jackfruit can also be purchased frozen, dried, or canned either in brine (usually unripe) or in syrup (ripe and sweet). If using fresh jackfruit, it's a good idea to oil your knife and hands first before cutting, as the fruit is very sticky.
Jackfruit contains many vitamins and minerals, and offers numerous health benefits. The fruit's isoflavones, antioxidants, and phytonutrients mean that jackfruit has cancer-fighting properties. It is also known to help cure ulcers and indigestion.