Mut Mit (Chewy Dried Jackfruit), Sweetened with Monk Fruit

Method

1. Peel the jackfruit, take out the segments and remove the seeds. Cut the segments into bite sized pieces, neither too thin nor too thick.
2. Rinse them gently in lightly salted water to wash off the sap.
3. Soak the jackfruit in diluted lime juice for about 10 minutes to keep the color bright, then drain it or pat it dry with a clean towel. The fruit has to be completely dry before seasoning.
4. Toss the jackfruit with 200 to 300g kOBE Monk Fruit Blend and a little salt, then leave it for 30 minutes to absorb. Vanilla or pandan leaf can go in at this point for extra fragrance.
5. To dry in the oven, lay the pieces on a parchment lined tray without overlapping and dry at 100 to 110 degrees C for 1 to 2 hours, checking and turning them so they dry evenly. Turn the oven off once the pieces have shrunk and reached the chew you want.
6. To dry in an air fryer, arrange the seasoned pieces in the basket, dry at 100 degrees C for 20 to 30 minutes, toss them, then dry for another 10 to 15 minutes at 90 degrees C.
7. Cool completely, then transfer to a glass jar or a sealed zip bag.

Tips

• Stop before the pieces overdry, because they turn hard.
• A very thin brush of honey before drying gives a glossy finish, and honey is still sugar.
• Drying in small batches keeps the quality even.
• Turn the pieces every 30 minutes while they dry, since leaving them still lets water pool underneath and they stick to the tray.
• The jackfruit has to be completely dry before seasoning, since wet fruit weeps and never turns chewy.