Thread by @GeneforTexas

Look for this thread later when we do:

"You don't know Jackfruit."

So.

Jackfruit can be bought at almost any Asian grocery.

Most Hispanic groceries.

And some of the more hip @HEB stores.

This one was 28.5 lb x $0.68/lb = about $20 clams.

If you're paying more than $1.50/pound for unprocessed Jackfruit, you're getting seriously hosed.

The process of getting this beast open and in your tummy is why it's so cheap per pound. The amount of labor needed to eat it is high. Also 2/3rds of its weight is not edible.

You'll see when I bust this sucka open.

And, yes. This thing is a beast. At 28 pounds... IT WAS THE SMALLEST ONE IN THE BIN.

Jackfruit has been known to be a man-killer when it falls from a tree. Move over killer coconuts.

Here we go: "You Don't Know Jackfruit"

To start here's what you need:

1- Big cutting board
2- Big knife (needs to be long)
3- Latex gloves
4- Whiskey (optional, but you may need a break after the first half)

Seriously.

You need disposable gloves. This is not optional.

The Jackfruit sap is super duper ultra sticky. It will take you days to get it all off your hands.

If you don't have gloves, go out and find some.

You will have a bad time.

First - Take your big-ass knife and split that sucka down the middle.

You will need to flip it to cut the other side.

The skin is actually pretty soft and easy to cut.

Ah. There you go.

Right now, you are smelling heaven. It's sweet, tropical, and heady.

You see all that yellow stuff? That's deliciousness.

The center pith will start oozing sap immediately. Try not to touch it if you can. It's crazy sticky.

Here's a close-up.

The fruit is a beautiful dark yellow color. The surrounding white fibers are really tough and not edible.

The surrounding white fibers are actually individual strands that connect the other shell to the inner pith.

Disconnecting the center pith from the fibers will make getting the fruit out much easier.

You can try to core out the center pith like this, or split into quarters and then cut it away.

The point is to slowly shave away the center pith till you start exposing the tops of the fruits and cut away the connecting fibers.

If you do it right, this is what it should look like.

Make sure not to shave off too much or you'll start losing fruit.

By now, the aroma is going to be filling the room. It's wonderful.

Focus on NOT shoving pieces of fruit into your own gaping maw. Let's get this done.

By now your gloves, knife, cutting board, and cell phone will be covered in a thick coating of sickly sap.

Don't try to clean it off right now. It'll just make things worse. Plow on.

On that same note...

DON'T RUB YOUR EYES OR FACE WITH YOUR STICKY HANDS.

I learned that the hard way.

Just pull out the fruit pieces with your hands.

This is what you'll be left with after you've extracted all the edible parts.

The fruit pieces will have some fibers still stuck to them. Don't worry about it.

The fruit itself is not sticky at all, so don't use your sickly hands to try to remove the fibers.

Here's a single fruit with all the fibers removed. It's beautiful.

There is a large seed inside. I like to leave the seed in. It seems to help it last longer in the fridge and taste better. But it's up to you.

Here's the fruit cut in half. The seed sits inside of a thick membrane. The membrane is edible, but most people just pull it out.

The seeds are huge and very slick. If you squeeze them in your hands, they will shoot across the room.

So here's what 28lb of Jackfruit produces.

It's probably less than 10 lb of fruit (including seeds).

But good grief it's delicious. Lightly sweet, crunchy, and smells like the tropics.

They'll hold up in the fridge for at least a week.

I hope you enjoyed this. I really want to encourage you to try this for yourself. It's not that hard.

Go explore the world. Don't be afraid. Try new things.

Life is so short. Cram in as many experiences as you can before you become worm food.

Some Asian groceries will sell pre-cut sections of a Jackfruit for people who don't want to buy 30lbs at one time.

It'll cost a bit more, but it's less intimidating.