Fresh langka is hard to come where I live so when I do find it at the Asian supermarkets I frequent, I usually buy a good few pounds. Half of the fruit I eat as is and the remaining half I bottle to use in other desserts like ginataang bilo-bilo, banana turon, or halo-halo.

Although bottled sweetened jackfruit is readily available at most Asian grocery stores or online, there’s nothing like homemade in my opinion. It’s easy to make by simply stewing the fruit in simple syrup and I can control the amount of sugar used.

Plus, the distinct aroma wafting in the kitchen as the langka cooks is hard to beat!

Jackfruit can be prepared as a vegetable when raw as in our ginataang langka recipe or as a fruit when ripe as in our banana turon.

What you’ll need

• Langka– use RIPE jackfruit. You can use frozen if fresh is unavilable; just thaw and drain well.
• Sugar– use granulated white sugar. Sweetens the dish and acts as a preservative
• Water– for making the syrup

How to prepare jackfruit

1. Cover work area with a plastic wrap. Wear latex gloves and coat the knife with oil.
2. Cut the langka lengthwise in quarters.
3. Remove the tough, white core in the center fo the jackfruit and discard.
4. Bend the fruit pods to loosen from the fibrous flesh and pull out. Remove any fibrous pulp that clings to each pod and discard.
5. Make an incision at the end of the bulb, and pop out the seed. The seeds are edible; save them to roast and enjoy as a filling snack!
6. Repeat the process with the remaining pods and proceed with the recipe.

How to serve and store

• Enjoy minatamis na langka on its or as an ingredient in many sweet desserts or delicacies.
• Transfer to a clean jar with a tight-fitting lid and refrigerate for up to one week. For longer storage, use sterilized jars and follow safe canning guidelines.