So often, it has occurred to me that my mother even today tells much of her youth days. Among them, was after a family shared a jackfruit at about midday while they were relieved of the morning duties as they went digging.
She says that often the seeds were collected and roasted by the embers of the fireplace. These were then cooled and eaten. These she enjoyed for the aroma and the crunchiness that came after preparation. That was the case, of a country-sider closing to the late decades of the nineteenth century. The times have since moved on, a great range. This is in the world population, technological advancements and expectations of the trends.
There has been an exponential increase in the world’s population in the very recent past. World governments have therefore put the specialists in the food industry on task to broaden the food pool.
One of those convenient resorts has been food waste. For plant food waste commonly under consideration includes stalks, seeds, peelings, leaves and epicarps. These have been reported to contain a significant amount of nutrients that are vital for optimal health. These are therefore important in conveying antidiabetic, antihypertensive, anticarcinogenic and antiatherosclerotic benefits to the consumers.
Jackfruit seeds, being a waste, are a cheap rich source rich in starch, protein and dietary fibre. They are also rich in minerals such as magnesium, calcium, iron, manganese, phosphorus and potassium. Jackfruit seeds have substantial amounts of vitamins.
This is also in addition to improving the sensory properties of the food products. These include taste, aroma and mouthfeel. Jackfruit seed flour also has desirable pasting properties important in the food processing industry that can also be utilized in day-to-day food preparation.
Owing to the above nutrient profile, there are a range of means by which they have been incorporated into foods. The means of preparation has in many cases been slicing followed by drying. Oven drying is the best to be employed at a temperature of 60 to 70°C for 24 hours. This is often followed by roasting for close to one hour. These being hard at this stage of preparation, they are then finely milled.
The jackfruit seed flour is then incorporated into a range of food products to raise their health benefits. The foods are very basic recipes that can be performed at home with minimal technology.
The common flours such as those of maize, soybean, cassava and millet can be fortified with jackfruit seed flour. These can then be utilized for the desired food products. These include a range such porridges and pastries such as breads, biscuits, daddies and cookies. This is in addition to the commonly consumed beverages such as fruit juices and dairy products such as milk and yoghurt. The is a great possibility of developing a jackfruit seed flour-based fermented beverage. This comes along with additional probiotics (beneficial live microorganisms) that are functional in human health.
The jackfruit seed flour, for its distinctive aroma, can also be utilized can be used as a hot-water spice. About a levelled tablespoon of jackfruit seed powder added to a 500-millilitre vessel could serve well for a beverage. The product has a comparable acceptability to tea, ginger, cinnamon and chocolate when used to spice hot water.
How times revolve only to lead us to where we have been. This called us to reconsider a renewed conscience of the sources of nourishment. This is because a great range is wasted in much that we have wasted and yet well composed of nutrients that are vital for human health.
The author of the article is a student of Bachelor of Science in Human Nutrition at the Department of Food Technology and Nutrition at Makerere University.
Name: Dickson Mukisa
Email: dicksonmukisaa@gmail.com
Telephone number: +256 742185410