Do you know Monk fruit, which is 100-150 times sweeter than sugar with no calories, is creating confusion in many states if it is banned or legal to use?
You can use Monk fruit extract to make any beverages like tea, coffee, and drinks sweet and happening.
So, go through this entire article to know every detail about amazing Monk fruit with the failproof tips to grow it.
Table of Contents Show
What Does Monk Fruit Look Like?
Monk fruit(Siraitia grosvenorii) is a small and round fruit with brownish-green skin and sweet, white flesh. This amazing fruit is native to Southern China.
Basically, the size of the fruit is just the same as the size of a lime or a lemon.
When you break the fruit, you can see the white, mushy pulp, which is very sweet and bitter. The ripe fruit’s pulp can stick into your hands.
The flesh surrounds many hard seeds. These seeds are dark brown or black in color and appear oval-shaped.
This fruit has very low sugar but has strong sweetening compounds. Due to this, this fruit extract works as a natural sweetener.
However, when you consume the fresh, ripe fruit, you will feel a very bitter taste due to cucurbitacin present in the fruit. So, people don’t prefer it raw.
Is Monk Fruit Banned?
Monk Fruit is not banned in any of the countries or states as it is a safe, natural sweetener that can replace sugar.
Moreover, this fruit and the sweetener are best for diabetic patients who cannot give up on sweets.
However, cucurbitacin is harmful to the human body. So, it’s better to use only the sweet extracts after separating cucurbitacin.
You can find Monk fruit in the form of liquid, paste, or sugar-like granules as the sugar substitute.
How To Grow Monk Fruit?
Before growing Monk fruit, make sure to choose the terracotta pot with enough drainage holes. Also, buy viable seeds from the reputed store for successful germination.
- Start the seeds indoors in seed starting mix about 7-8 weeks prior to the last frost.
- Make sure to sow them only 1/2 inch deep and keep the soil moist.
- The Monk fruit seeds will germinate in 1-2 weeks, and you will see the first 2 cotyledon leaves.
- Don’t disturb the seedling until the first set of true leaves appear after cotyledon leaves.
- Then, transplant each seedling into a single pot with a well-draining potting mix.
- If you choose to plant the seedlings in the ground, plant them 3-4 feet apart in a sunny location.
- Your Monk fruit vine will start producing fruits within 4-5 years.
Make sure to provide your Monk fruit in 6-8 hours of sunlight and water the plant just to keep the soil moist. Waterlogged soil may result in root rot.
Moreover, apply suitable pesticides, fungicides, and neem oil if you notice any infestation in your plant.
From Editorial Team
Important Tips!
Arrange the cage or support during the seedling stage of your Monk fruit, as the plant needs support to climb and balance itself after producing fruits.
Moreover, harvest the fruit in the fall only after they are fully ripe. Unripe fruits do not ripen further after you pluck them from the vine.
