For example, Whole Foods (and similar supermarkets) may sell jackfruit. Continue your search for jackfruit in local farmers markets.
To find an Asian grocery in your area, search online or ask around at local grocery stores and Asian restaurants.
You’ll see a large, white central stem: cut this into small pieces and remove it.
Repeat this process until you’ve extracted all of the seeds from both halves of the jackfruit. Jackfruit produces a very sticky sap that will cling to your hands, clothes, knife, and cutting board, and make the process of cutting the fruit difficult. To avoid this, slather your hands and knife in vegetable oil, which will diffuse the sticky sap.
Jackfruit are difficult to peel properly; the exterior is prickly and thick, and once you cut through it, you’ll find that the interior is gummy, sticky, and difficult to cut apart (as described above). When people refer to jackfruit as a fruit, they mean the deliciously fragrant fleshy pod that protects the seed. But when they refer to jackfruit as vegetable, they mean the young jackfruit that commonly sold in tins or cans that has a consistency of pulled pork, and used as vegan meat substitute. For this reason, it’s easier to purchase already prepared and canned jackfruit from a grocery store or an Asian market, rather than cutting through an entire fruit on your own. In Southeast Asian cultures, jackfruit as vegetable is commonly cooked in curry or stir fries. They cook the entire fruit after cutting the prickly outer skin.
Bake the jackfruit seeds at 400°F (204°C). Use your oven light to check the seeds every 5 minutes. You’ll know they are done when the jackfruit seeds break open and the fleshy fruit “pops” out from the inside.
Once the jackfruit is cooked, you can break it apart easily using a fork or a spoon.
Dice two shallots and cook these in a pan of vegetable oil for 2–3 minutes. Strain the shallots, let them cool, and then toss the fried shallots with the prepared jackfruit mixture. Add ¼ cup (59 mL) of fresh mint and ¼ cup (59 mL) of fresh cilantro, and serve immediately.
Avoid purchasing jackfruit canned in syrup, as the taste will be too sweet and overwhelm the other flavors in the sandwich.
Set the oven to 400°F (204°C), and spread the jackfruit “pork” mixture on a baking tray. Press the jackfruit with a spatula until it takes the consistency of pulled pork. Add ½ cup (118 mL) of BBQ sauce, and cook for 30–35 minutes. Once the jackfruit is lightly browned, remove the pan from the oven and spoon the jackfruit “pork” mixture onto a roll or bun. Serve once it has cooled.
As the jackfruit cooks, add to the pan ½ cup (118 mL) of onion and 2 cloves of minced garlic.
Once it’s finished sautéing, add the jackfruit mixture, and mix everything together. Spoon the jackfruit “tuna” salad atop a bread of your choice, and add a handful of shredded cheese and a couple slices of tomato.
