Jackfruit may be a fruit you’ve heard of or seen at the grocery store, and you’re just not quite sure how it’s used. Or maybe you’re familiar but could use some tips on preparing it. Jackfruit is the world’s largest tree fruit, regularly reaching 40 pounds or more, and it’s actually related to figs and mulberries. It looks sort of like a giant, spiny mango, ranging from green to yellow when fully ripe. Ripe jackfruit is quite sweet and often used in desserts and dried snacks. But young or green jackfruit, when marinated, makes a great meat substitute, and it’s one of 13 canned fruits you should have in your pantry.
So, when you’re working with jackfruit in a recipe, how long should you marinate it for the best flavor? The short answer is, when cooking jackfruit in the marinade, you should let it sit in the flavorful sauce for at least a couple of hours. But for the best flavor, let it marinate overnight in the fridge. However, don’t leave jackfruit in the marinade for much longer than that either, or it will start to break down completely and end up mushy and pasty.
Green jackfruit, whether fresh or canned, is quite porous, so it easily picks up the marinade. If you’re working with canned young jackfruit, make sure it isn’t packed in a syrupy solution, as this will make the fruit’s flavor more sweet than savory. And you should rinse the canned fruit in cold water and lightly compress the pieces against a colander to remove excess water and brine from the can. From here, there are a few basic techniques for marinating jackfruit.
How to marinate jackfruit for the most flavorful dishes
You can marinate either fresh, shredded, or canned green jackfruit. Jackfruit doesn’t always need to be cooked before eating, but when using young jackfruit, you’ll probably want to cook it, or it will end up tough and harder to work with. And ripe jackfruit (which doesn’t need cooking) isn’t generally ideal for savory marinated dishes.
While it’s used in a number of meat substitute recipes, jackfruit may be known most commonly as the best substitute for BBQ pulled pork. To make the easiest version, you can simply mix jackfruit with barbecue sauce and cook it on the stove or in a slow cooker. The thick barbecue sauce will carry much of the flavor, so it doesn’t even need to be marinated ahead of time. However, for more full-bodied flavor, you should sauté the jackfruit with onions and garlic first, then let it marinate in barbecue sauce overnight to more fully emulate the juicy, fatty texture of pulled pork.
Jackfruit’s magic lies in its incredible texture and mild flavor. It can become almost anything you want it to be — chicken, beef, or pork. Jackfruit is amazing at picking up Asian, Mexican, and Mediterranean flavors, and is delicious served over rice, with mixed vegetables, or on a pita or tortilla. You just need to use the right flavors for where you want it to take you. Simply marinate it as you would any meat protein or tofu, for at least a couple hours or all the way overnight. And when it’s time for the cook, a hot skillet is usually the way to sear in the flavor and get the right delicate and slightly chewy texture.
