Sau Ngam Duong (Sweet Preserved Dracontomelon), Sweetened with Monk Fruit

Method

1. Peel the sau and score a spiral around each fruit, dropping them into a bowl of lightly salted water as you go so the surface does not darken.
2. Rinse the fruit with clean water and tip it into a colander to drain.
3. Bring a pot of water to a boil and blanch the fruit for exactly 30 seconds, until it turns yellow, then lift it out to drain. Any longer and it loses its crispness.
4. Boil 350ml water with 1 teaspoon salt, then add 315g kOBE Monk Fruit Blend and stir until it dissolves.
5. When the syrup is at a gentle boil, add 2 to 3 pieces of bruised and finely chopped ginger for aroma, bring it back to a boil, then turn off the heat and let it cool.
6. Pack the fruit into a glass jar, spoon in the cooled syrup, seal the jar and keep it somewhere cool for about 3 to 4 days before using.

Tips

• Choose sau at the middle stage, neither old nor young, since that is the fruit that turns out fragrant and crisp.
• Wash the glass jar and dry it completely before filling it, or a film forms on the surface.
• Do not taste right after mixing. Give it 5 minutes for the kOBE Monk Fruit Blend to dissolve, then adjust.
• kOBE Monk Fruit Blend has a light cooling finish, more noticeable in a cold drink than a hot one.
• The syrup has to be completely cool before it goes into the jar, because a hot one softens the fruit.