Meet Breadfruit

Fruit or Vegetable Fruit

Color Leaves: green. Fruit Skin: green, brown, pink/red, orange-ish. Fruit Flesh – white, cream, yellow

Edible Parts Fruit and seeds (cooked)

Season Year-Round (Peak May – October/November)

Seeds vs cutting Suckers (baby plants that sprout up) – some have seeds

How it grows Very large tree with canopy

Nutrition Complex carbohydrates, fiber, vitamin C (1/2 C ripe fruit = 25% daily recommendations), amino acids. Supports: energy, immune system, refined grain alternative.

About the plant

‘Ulu is a tree brought to Hawai‘i by the ancient Polynesians. ‘Ulu is the kinolau (form of god) of the god Ku. ‘Ulu fruit can be eaten raw (when ripe/soft) or cooked like a potato (when mature/hard). A mature tree bares 50-100 fruits per year and is known to be able to feed an entire village. The Breadfruit Institute is sharing ‘ulu information and trees around the world to help feed and reforest communities. The tree has many uses including: food, construction materials, medicine, cordage, glue, insect repellent, animal feed, sand paper, cloth and agroforestry.

how to pick breadfruit

When to pick the fruit?

Breadfruit is a very versatile fruit and can be used as a sweet fruit or a more starchy carbohydrate (like a potato). When is it ready? Well, that depends on what you are making!

I want RIPE sweet fruit

Pick it when it is very large for its size, the bumps on the skin are flat and there is lots of sap (usually). Let it sit for a 3-4 days (in a box or on a plate to keep the sap from sticking to anything) and it will ripen quickly! It will be mushy and the skin will often brown a bit.

I want to eat it like a potato

Pick it when it is medium or large and green with some sap, bumps on the skin are mostly flattened. Eat it right away or store in the refrigerator. It will ripen and get sweet very quickly once picked!

I want to eat it like an artichoke heart

Pick it when it is medium with a little sap. The skin may be a little bumpy. Don’t eat too immature or it will be rubbery.