Jamaican Cookery

Ackee is a popular fruit in Jamaican cuisine that is used in many dishes, such as ackee and saltfish. It's important to properly clean ackee before cooking with it to remove any potential toxins that may be present in the fruit.

Here are the steps to clean ackee:

Select ripe ackee fruit: Choose ackee that is fully ripe, meaning the pods are red and have started to open naturally.

Use a sharp knife to cut the ackee pod lengthwise, from the stem to the tip.

Remove the seed and the pink membrane: Remove the seed and the pink membrane from the ackee fruit. You can use a small spoon or your fingers to gently separate the seed and membrane from the flesh of the fruit.

Rinse the ackee: Rinse the ackee thoroughly under running water to remove any remaining pink membrane or other debris.

Soak the ackee: Place the ackee in a bowl of cold water and let it soak for at least 30 minutes. This helps to remove any remaining toxins and bitterness.

Rinse again: After soaking, rinse the ackee one more time under running water before cooking with it.