Choosing jackfruit (chakka): tender, raw or ripe, and keeping it fresh
Jackfruit: the short answer
Decide first which stage you are buying, because a jackfruit (chakka, ചക്ക) is three different foods in one skin. A tender fruit (idichakka) and a full-grown unripe fruit are used as vegetables. A ripe fruit (chakkapazham) is sweet and strongly scented, and it spoils quickly. Keep a whole fruit in a cool, shaded room, oil your hands and knife before cutting because of the latex, and keep any cut pieces covered and chilled.
Wikipedia lists jackfruit as the state fruit of Kerala. It is also the largest tree-borne fruit in the world, so most shoppers meet it in cut pieces rather than whole.
| Name you hear | Malayalam | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Chakka | ചക്ക | Jackfruit in general |
| Idichakka | ഇടിച്ചക്ക | Very young, tender fruit, used as a vegetable |
| Chakkapazham | ചക്കപ്പഴം | Ripe jackfruit, eaten as a sweet fruit |
| Chakkachula | ചക്കച്ചുള | The fleshy bulbs inside the fruit |
| Chakkakkuru | ചക്കക്കുരു | The seeds, one inside each bulb |
More local names are in our fruit names list and vegetable names list.
What you are buying
Morton, in the Purdue NewCROP chapter on jackfruit, describes the fruit as the largest of all tree-borne fruits, 20 to 90 cm long and 15 to 50 cm wide. Weight ranges from about 4.5 kg to as much as 50 kg. The rind is a thick, rubbery wall studded with hard, cone-like points. Inside are large yellow bulbs packed among narrow, tough ribbons and a central core, and each bulb holds one seed. A single fruit can hold from 100 to 500 of them.
The fruit matures three to eight months after flowering, which explains why stalls can have fruit at very different stages on the same day. Morton also describes a sticky white latex that flows freely from the stalk when a slightly underripe fruit is cut from the tree.
Two kinds of bulb
Morton records that jackfruits in South India fall into two general types: a soft type with small, fibrous, very sweet bulbs, called koozha (കൂഴ), and a firmer, crisp type of high quality known as varika, or varikka (വരിക്ക) in Kerala spelling. Wikipedia makes the same broad distinction between soft, juicy, sweet kernels and hard, crisp ones. Names shift from district to district, so ask the seller to show you a cut piece if you want the firmer kind.
When is jackfruit in season?
Morton says that in Asia jackfruits ripen mainly from March to June, April to September or June to August, depending on the climate of the region, with some off-season crops from September to December and a few fruits at other times. Kerala sits in the earlier part of that spread: the main season is roughly March to July, and tender fruit appears first, from about February. You can see the full picture on our season calendar.
How to choose jackfruit
Tender fruit (idichakka)
- Size. Choose a small, compact fruit that feels firm all over.
- Cut stalk. The cut end should look fresh and moist, not dry, shrunken or black.
Full-grown unripe fruit
- Rind. It should be green to yellowish green, hard and rubbery. Morton says that at this stage the fruit has no objectionable smell.
- Feel. It should be heavy for its size and firm, with no soft or sunken patches.
Ripe fruit
- Colour. Wikipedia says the skin changes from pale green to greenish brown, and that the colour goes towards brownish yellow as the fruit matures.
- Smell. A ripe whole fruit gives off a strong, characteristic smell. Morton compares it to decayed onions from outside, while the opened pulp smells of pineapple and banana.
- Sound. Wikipedia notes that a ripe fruit makes a hollow noise when tapped.
- Shape. The points on the rind flatten as the fruit matures, according to Wikipedia.
If you are buying cut pieces
- Look for bulbs or slices that are fresh, moist and evenly coloured, with no slime, no mould and no sour or fermented smell.
- Dry, cracked cuts or dark, soft bulbs mean the fruit has been sitting, and cut fruit does not last.
How to store whole jackfruit
Morton warns that jackfruits turn brown and deteriorate quickly after ripening. Wikipedia adds that, once harvested, the fruit has to be consumed quickly. Buy a ripe one only when you can use it within a day or two.
- Keep a whole fruit unwashed and uncut, in a cool, shaded, ventilated spot away from the stove and direct sun.
- Check it every day. Move to the next step as soon as you smell a strong, sweet, fermenting odour or see a soft, leaking patch.
FAO gives a storage temperature of 13 degrees Celsius for jackfruit at 85 to 90 percent relative humidity, with a storage life of 14 to 42 days. Morton reports trials in which ripe fruit was kept three to six weeks at about 11 to 13 degrees Celsius and 85 to 95 percent humidity. Those are controlled conditions. A kitchen is warmer and less steady, so plan on days rather than weeks.
What about the fridge?
FAO explains that many tropical crops are sensitive to chilling, with critical temperatures between about 7 and 15 degrees Celsius, and that damage shows up when the produce returns to room temperature. We did not find a source that describes chilling injury in jackfruit specifically, so treat this as a precaution rather than a proven rule. Given FAO's 13 degree figure for jackfruit, a household fridge is colder than the recommended range, and a whole fruit would rarely fit anyway. Use the fridge only for cut pieces.
Cutting jackfruit without the mess
Latex is the main practical problem. Morton says the copious gummy latex accumulates on the knife and hands unless they are first rubbed with oil, and that latex clinging to a pot can be removed by rubbing with oil. Wikipedia describes the same habit of coating hands, knives and surfaces with oil.
- Rub oil on your hands and on both sides of the blade before you start.
- Wipe the knife and board with an oil-soaked cloth while the latex is still wet, and only then wash them.
- If the fruit is ripe, Morton suggests opening it outdoors, or removing the smelly waste from the kitchen at once.
How to keep cut jackfruit
Wikipedia states that once a jackfruit is cut open, it deteriorates within a few days. That is the reason to cut only what you need.
- Separate the bulbs from the core and ribbons, since the ribbons dry out and the core is pithy.
- Put the bulbs, or unripe chunks, in a clean covered container.
- Keep them in the fridge, and use them within a day or two. This is our practical estimate rather than a published limit.
- Keep the seeds in a separate container. Wikipedia says the seeds are usually boiled or roasted before use, and Morton describes them as mealy and agreeable when thoroughly cooked.
Longer-term preservation is a food-processing matter. Morton reports that unripe jackfruit can be dried and kept in tins for a year and that ripe bulbs packed in syrup and frozen kept good colour, flavour and texture for a year in processing trials. Those results come from processing conditions, so they are not a promise for a tub in a home freezer.
What each stage is good for
| Stage | Look and smell | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Tender (idichakka) | Small, firm, mild | Vegetable, in curries and stir-fried dishes |
| Full-grown, unripe | Green, hard, no strong smell | Vegetable; seeds are cooked separately |
| Ripe (chakkapazham) | Greenish brown, strong smell, hollow sound | Eaten as a sweet fruit, in sweets and drinks |
| Over-ripe | Soft, brown, fermented smell | Discard |
In short, match the stage to the use before you buy.
When to throw jackfruit away
- A sour, alcoholic or fermented smell from the bulbs, which is different from the strong sweet scent of a ripe fruit.
- Slime, mould or a wet, leaking patch on the rind or the flesh.
- Bulbs that have gone dark brown, mushy and watery.
If one bulb looks wrong, remove it and check the neighbours. If decay has spread, discard the lot and wash the board and container.
Related guides
Other Kerala staples have their own storage rules. See our guides to raw plantain, elephant foot yam and coconut, read about Kerala banana varieties, or build a shopping list with our grocery list maker.
Sources and useful links
- Julia F. Morton, Jackfruit, in Fruits of Warm Climates (1987), Purdue University NewCROP
- FAO, Manual for the preparation and sale of fruits and vegetables, Chapter 3: Storage
- Wikipedia: Jackfruit
Frequently asked questions
What is jackfruit called in Malayalam?
The fruit is chakka (ചക്ക). The very young fruit is idichakka (ഇടിച്ചക്ക), the fleshy bulbs are chakkachula (ചക്കച്ചുള), the seeds are chakkakkuru (ചക്കക്കുരു) and the ripe fruit is often called chakkapazham (ചക്കപ്പഴം).
How can I tell that a jackfruit is ripe?
Wikipedia and Morton describe the skin changing from pale green to greenish brown, a strong characteristic smell, and a hollow sound when the fruit is tapped. Morton adds that the whole ripe fruit gives off a strong smell, while the opened pulp smells of pineapple and banana.
Can I keep a whole jackfruit in the fridge?
Not as a rule. FAO gives 13 degrees Celsius as the storage temperature for jackfruit, and a household fridge is much colder. A whole fruit also will not fit. Keep it in a cool, shaded room and move only cut pieces into the fridge.
How long does cut jackfruit keep?
Wikipedia says the fruit deteriorates within a few days once it is cut open. Our practical advice is to cover the pieces, chill them and use them within a day or two, which is an estimate rather than a measured figure.
How do I stop the latex sticking to my hands and knife?
Rub a little oil on your hands and on the knife blade before you cut. Both Morton and Wikipedia describe this, and oil also helps to remove latex that has dried on the pot or board.
What is the difference between varikka and koozha chakka?
Morton describes two broad types in South India: a soft type with small, sweet, fibrous bulbs (koozha) and a firmer, crisp type of high quality known as varika. Names vary by district, so ask which one a seller means.
