So here we are at the end of jackfruit week. Sticky fibers thrown out, extra pods are stowed away in the fridge and a bowl of barbecue is looking for another home since we’re out of buns. This is the part of the week where I stop and reflect on jackfruit and how it could factor in my life.
Before we get the answer to all that though I have to insist that anytime you try something new, it will have been worth it. Trying new things can open so many doors and show you other doors that you’ll know to keep locked. Keeping an open mind toward things is such a struggle at times, but letting yourself go into the unknown for just a moment is admirable.
Why yes, I do feel this applies to doing anything out of your comfort zone, even if that includes overriding your usual reactions to the new and odd. I don’t know if you all have been able to tell through this blog or in some references I made, but I am a big old nerd. Always have been, always will, always unashamed of my hobbies and interests. One of the bigger challenges though was trying something new.
I remember the first day I went to school with a new haircut. I loved the cut, but it definitely wasn’t something anyone would expect. For years I absolutely hated the response of people freaking out and pointing me out for doing/wearing/saying something they wouldn’t expect from me. For some reason though that haircut was the last time I let people bug me about that kind of stuff. From that point on I truly did not care what others thought of what I did or said, sometimes for better or worse. I feel I have fine tuned that skill to some degree, but that first step can either be tough or just deciding to own yourself.
Long story short, this can totally apply to new foods. Who are you trying to impress by not trying something new? There is no reason not to unless you know you’re allergic. So what if something smells a little weird, looks a little gross or even has an odd texture, just count to three and try it.
Now that you’re feeling all inspired and ready to tackle any new thing that comes your way, I have to say I may not seek jackfruit out again.
When it comes to the fresh stuff, it was sweet and delicious and I loved the caramelized jackfruit, but the hassle to find it, break it down and cook it would not be worth it. That’s not to say that if I were out and saw something jackfruit related on a menu I wouldn’t try it out. From a home cook perspective, you should definitely try it once with others, split the bounty and go about your day.
The barbecue jackfruit sandwiches though were amazing. I ate quite a few of them over the course of two days. It is with sadness I must tell you that I do not advise eating so much of it in a short period of time because your stomach may not let it agree with you.
You see, when I told you I was going to be honest with my finds, I am going to be honest. Moderation is always the key when eating, but I had jackfruit barbecue for lunch, then dinner, then lunch the next day. It is totally fine to try it out though and eat it, but just a word of caution that you shouldn’t eat it in excess like I did.
The fact that the jackfruit has become such a popular meat replacement for vegetarians is slightly disconcerting. You definitely get the slight texture of meat that you may be missing, and that is nice. You also get a nice dose of fiber and potassium, in case you’re a Ron Swanson type who doesn’t like bananas, but as a protein stand-in it actually isn’t the best. That’s not to say that you shouldn’t prepare it as a meat replacement, just maybe serve it with some beans or grains higher in protein to get the right amount of nutrients.
Now I want to assure anybody reading this thinking that this is going to be a straight up vegetarian blog, it will be in a way, but fret not. I am mentioning it now because jackfruit has been so popular in vegetarian/vegan circles as a meat substitute, and I thought it was fascinating to try when I was still eating meat and I hope you do too. I am still all about using simple ingredients, other than the pick of the week, and making things anyone can do at home. I hope vegetarians and omnivores alike shall enjoy this blog!
My apologies to the vegans, I love cheese and milk, but I will try my best to leave them as an optional ingredient.
For all of you who have been with us since starfruit, I hope that you enjoyed the new style this week. It has been great to let y’all know about some of my own experiences and bringing you more content.
I am pretty active on Instagram, so you should follow there @Try52 and there is a Facebook page as well under the same name where I’ll post updates.
Of course you can always just click “Follow” and enter your e-mail address so you can know as soon as a post is up.
Lastly, thank you all so much for following along with this. I thoroughly enjoy trying out these new things and I hope you all have been getting ideas of stuff you would want to try and maybe get the kids or significant others involved in some new foods as well. I have big plans for 2019 and beyond and am grateful for all the feedback, likes and followers I have received in the past 33 weeks and can’t believe we only have 19 left. Make sure you follow along so you don’t miss what is next! Thank you again.
Try 52 