Breadfruit

One breadfruit tree can produce 450 pounds of fruit each growing season — an extraordinary yield that made it historically valuable as a food security crop.

The breadfruit tree produces latex, a sticky white substance that is very useful but is also very messy during harvest.

The leaves of the breadfruit tree have many medicinal uses, from treating thrush to lowering blood pressure — a traditional remedy system worth rediscovering.

Similar to plantains or jackfruit, the ripeness of breadfruit determines its use. When underripe, it is starchy and best used in savory preparations. As the fruit ripens, it softens and becomes sweeter.

For savory cooking: Choose a firm, greenish-yellow fruit with some brown cracking (underripe). For sweet preparations or raw eating: Choose a brownish-yellow fruit that is soft to the touch and has a slightly sweet smell (ripe).

If you do not have access to fresh breadfruit, you can also find it canned — most of which is grown and processed in Jamaica. Breadfruit is in season in Hawai'i from July through February, and in South Florida in late summer.

The ripe fruit will go bad quickly. To keep fresh breadfruit for a short period, place it in a cool, dark place, where it will be good for a few days before it turns overripe. Store in the refrigerator for a few days to help delay ripening. To store it even longer, submerge it in cold water.

If you buy a ripe breadfruit, you should eat it right away. For longer storage, parboil the fruit and keep it in the refrigerator or freezer. Dried breadfruit can be stored indefinitely and cooked later or turned into flour.

Before cutting, soak the fruit in cold water for one to two minutes, then wash to remove any sap from the skin.

Unripe (Starchy): Can be made into curries, soups, cold salads, fried chips, or a version of poi. Traditional dishes include Sri Lankan Del Curry, Hawaiian ulu soup, Jamaican breadfruit rundown, and Trinidadian oil down. Seeds can be baked or boiled with the flesh, or removed and cooked separately.

Ripe (Sweet): Can be eaten raw, used in pie fillings, made into custard, or used for pancakes.

Freezing: Parboil fresh breadfruit and freeze for extended storage. A single breadfruit is quite large, so preservation is key for making it last.

Fermentation: In the Pacific Islands, it is traditional to ferment the fruit, often by leaving it outdoors. It is then used in various preparations, including mashing with coconut milk and steaming in banana leaves.

Drying & Flour: Dried breadfruit can be cooked later or turned into flour and used like other gluten-free flours for baking and recipes.

Breadfruit is very high in Vitamin C, with a whopping 71% of the daily value per cup. It's also an excellent source of fiber at 39% of the daily value per cup, and potassium at 23%.

It is a low glycemic food compared to rice and potatoes, for which it can be substituted. This combination of nutrients, low glycemic index, and versatility makes breadfruit an exceptional food for health and sustainability.

Breadfruit trees are considered very sustainable: climate adaptable, resilient, and requiring very little upkeep or maintenance. They are fast-growing, perennial, and usually grown with few to no fertilizers or pesticides.

Breadfruit's hardiness means that it's a staple of both traditional and new agroforestry projects across the Pacific, providing shade for other crops, livestock feed, and more without needing much attention from growers. As climate change threatens traditional food crops, breadfruit offers hope as a climate-resilient alternative.