Peppered Maple Jackfruit Bacon

• 1 can young green jackfruit in brine (unsweetened) I bought mine from a local Asian Market
• 1-2 T. liquid smoke
• 1 T. Bragg’s liquid aminos or coconut aminos for those with soy allergies
• 1 T. extra virgin olive oil or melted unrefined coconut oil
• 2 T. pure maple syrup
• 1 t. – 1 T. ground black pepper (depending on how peppery you want your bacon)
• 1 t. balsamic vinegar
• 1 t. unsulphered molasses
• 1/2 t. sea salt (optional)

Method: Rinse and drain the jackfruit. Press lightly onto clean kitchen towels to drain any excess moisture. Slice jackfruit into very thin strips with a filet knife, it’s okay if some of it shreds. Jackfruit is kinda shreddy like that. Press sliced jackfruit on the clean kitchen towels again to remove additional moisture. Place jackfruit slices in a medium bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together all the other ingredients to form the marinade. Pour marinade over the sliced jackfruit and gently toss to coat with your hands. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to let the jackfruit absorb the flavors. Preheat your oven to 425°. Lightly oil a large rimmed baking sheet and arrange the jackfruit slices on it so they don’t overlap. Bake for 25-30 minutes, stirring a time or two and watching to make sure the jackfruit bacon doesn’t burn and that it gets nice and crispy (a fine line). Remove from oven and spread onto paper towels and let cool a bit before use.