Don't Throw Away Those Seeds! (Jackfruit Seeds)

Boiled jackfruit seeds (with skin still on)

We don't grow tropical fruits in Toronto but are lucky to import quite a selection.  Jackfruit is one such fruit and my brother-in-law picked one up from a Chinese supermarket to share.  This was a massive thing, 20 lbs!  And it wasn't even the biggest!  Anyway, I've had canned and fresh jackfruit so I was happy to partake in this feast.  But what made me happier was to find out you could eat the seeds!  Yes, I kept repeating, "How interesting!"

Cross-section of jackfruit

 It's very common for people to eat pumpkin seeds and other types of seeds but if I were to cut a jackfruit open, I'd never consider eating the seeds.  

What do the seeds taste like? First thought, chestnuts! They're not exactly like chestnuts but the taste resembles chestnut but a little less sweet. Others' like Serious Eats have noted they taste like lotus seeds.  But you can't just eat it straight from the fruit.  

How to prepare the seed:

- Place seeds in a pot of water, water level about 1" above seeds.  Optional: add a 1/2 tsp of salt.

- Boil for 15 mins or 20 if you would like it softer

- Strain and let cool, until you can easily pull off the thin skin

You can also roast them or I've read that they can be sun-dried and saved for use later.

Sorry for the blurry pic!  The inside of the cooked seed.

These would be a great snack, I'm surprised no one has ever packaged it!  Hmmm, guess people are more interested in the fruit or it's just a special treat for those willing to buy a whole jackfruit!