Jack Fruit

Jack Fruit lady 

I found this lady shelling Jack Fruits near a local market a couple of weeks ago. Initially I was attracted by the colours of all the fruits and flowers, the plastic stools, bucket and basket and her lovely outfit.  She was sitting working in the half shade in front of a rice merchant's shop and I began to recognise, as I sat and watched her, that she was shelling the mysterious Jack Fruit that I have seen for sale in the local supermarket where it is sold in as 'freeze fried'  fruit.


It is like eating crispy dried mango and is completely delicious.I love dried fruits but these crispy freeze-fried fruits are a delightful revelation to me. 

The huge Jack Fruits apparently grow everywhere in tropical regions but getting to the edible part requires some considerable work. I wonder why I have never seen it in the UK? 




While freeze-fried fruit is dried or dehydrated food but the process is different from traditional drying. Before the drying process begins, the fruit is frozen. It is then placed into a chamber that makes use of a vacuum to gradually extract the water content. Heat is applied in the chamber and set at a temperature that allows the frozen fruit to quickly thaw while the vacuum extracts the water. The end result is a dried fruit that retains the taste of fresh and also develops a crispy texture.

Source:http://www.wisegeek.org/what-is-the-difference-between-freeze-dried-and-dehydrated-fruits.htm