Locally Grown Fruit Milwaukee WI

(The largest Jackfruit in the photo on the right weighs about 60 lbs. and is about 2 feet long.  The fruits in the photo on the bottom right are about 15 feet high in the tree and weigh about 20-50 lbs)

Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus) also known as jakfruit, jaca, and nangka, is a tropical tree originally from western India. It is a member of the mulberry family, and a relative of the bread fruit.

The jack fruit is a melon shaped starchy vegetable that can reach a length of 3 feet, and weigh up to 100 pounds, making it the largest tree-borne fruit in the world.  The fruits grow both from the tree trunk and from branches in the tree. They have a rough spiny skin and the uncut ripe fruit has a strong unpleasant smell, resembling rotting onions - but the cut fruit has a strong aroma similar to papaya or pineapple.

The interior consists of large bulbs of pulp enclosing a seed up to 1 inch long, with from 100 to 500 seeds per fruit. The flavor is similar to pineapple & banana but less juicy. The green unripe flesh is cooked as a vegetable and used in curries and salads. When ripe and sweet, it is eaten as a fruit. The large seeds are roasted and have a flavor and texture similar to chestnuts.

Jackfruit are rarely available fresh in the U.S., but can be found canned in Asian grocery stores.

Photos by Chef James, taken at Fruit & Spice Park, Homestead, FL
 

...

Fruit of the Month
Commonly showcased side by side with peaches, nectarines are a similar, but yet different fruit. The best way to identify the difference between a nectarine and peach is by the lack of fuzz on the nectarine.

Nectarines, like peaches, most likely originated in China more than 2,000 years ago and were cultivated in ancient Persia, Greece and Rome. They were grown in Great Britain in the late 16th or early 17th centuries, and were introduced to America by the Spanish. Today, California grows over 95% of the nectarines produced in the United States.

Nectarines are smaller and smooth skinned golden yellow with large blushes of red. Their yellow flesh has a noticeable pink tinge, with a distinct aroma and a more pronounced flavor. There are more than 100 varieties of nectarine, in freestone and clingstone varieties. In freestone types the flesh separates from the 'pit' easily, while clingstone types cling to the 'pit.' Nectarines are more delicate than peaches and bruise very easily.

Nectarines are a good source of vitamin C and low in calories with no sodium or cholesterol.

Selection
Ripe fruit are fragrant and give, slightly, to the touch. If they are a under-ripe, leave them at room temperature for 2–3 days to ripen. Look for fruit with smooth unblemished skin. Avoid extremely hard or dull colored fruits and soft fruit with soft, wrinkled, punctured skin.

Storage
Nectarines keep for 5 days if stored in a plastic bag in the coldest part of your refrigerator.

Preparation
Nectarines can be used and prepared in the same ways as peaches, with no need to peel because they have no fuzz. Leave the skins on when making pies, cobblers and fresh fruit salads, etc.

Availability
California nectarines are available from late April and to late August. Almost all of the nectarines available are in California. Chiliean Nectarines are available from late December through early March.

• Make Nectarines Part of Your 5 A D...

     Tropical fruits and vegetable have always fascinated Europeans when they first saw them in the Americas and brought to Spain or Italy for further study. Some have been successfully grown, and proliferated. Others succumbed to the harsh winters even in the northern Mediterranean shores famous for their mild winter seasons.

     Today, tropical fruits and vegetables are widely available in many large cities across the continent; thanks to rapid air cargo and efficient distribution systems. Restaurateurs try to attract the affluent jet set by featuring rare and unusual foodstuffs.

     Most tropical fruits and vegetables tend to be delicate, therefore taste best when picked ripe and consumed shortly thereafter. Tropical fruits available in North America are by and large picked "green" and force-ripened in transit, and/or in specially designed warehouses. Beside their interesting look, their taste and texture represent only a shadow of their true taste.

Akee , the "gratis food" of Jamaica, tastes akin to scrambled eggs, and is almost always served with salted cod. Canned akee is available in West Indian grocery stores in large North American cities. The fruit is too perishable for distribution in distant markets.

Jackfruit has a pear shape with a dark green skin and can weigh up to 30 kg. It has a very perfumey smell and tastes delicious raw or cooked. Ripe jackfruit has a creamy yellow flesh. Unripe fruit can be used in cooking.

Sapodilla , a Central American fruit, has a rough brown skin and its grainy flesh is sweet. Fully ripe sapodilla tastes delicious and has a brownish pulp.

Papaya contains papain, often used as a tenderising agent for meat or fish. Ripe papaya is sweet and succulent with an orange-yellow flesh. Size varies from 500 grams to several kilograms.

Rambutan, a native plant to Malaysia and relative to lychee, is a strikingly beautiful fruit the size of an apricot. It does not travel well and is mostly used where it grows. Southeast Asian countries are the prime producers and consumers of this delightful, mild and refreshing fruit.

Citron, a highly fragrant citrus fruit, originating in the Far East, but is today grown in Mediterranean countries. Citron resembles an oblong lemon with a thick, coruscated rind and a pleasantly acid pulp. Chefs prefer it for its mild and appealing acidity, and confectioners candy the highly fragrant peel.

Custard apple , a green and round fruit, has a soft, creamy texture with a pulp reminiscent of custard.

Mangosteen is a roundish and brown purple fruit with a shiny skin. It is a favourite of southeastern Asians where it grows. The soft, white, juicy, segmented flesh of mangosteen has a delightful sweet and sour taste. It is only available in season around March and must be consumed fresh.

Passion fruit , a highly perfumey berry with a delicate flavour, is frequently imported from New Zea...