Development of value-added products from underutilized jackfruit through osmotic dehydration

Abstract:

Every harvest season along Kenya’s coast, tonnes of ripe jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam.) rot unsold because the fresh fruit is too bulky, perishable, and unfamiliar to distant markets. Osmotic dehydration—soaking fruit slices in concentrated sugar solution before drying—can transform this waste into shelf-stable, value-added products. This research optimised osmotic dehydration of jackfruit bulbs using a central composite design with three factors: sugar concentration (30-70 °Brix), immersion time (2-6 h), and slice thickness (5-15 mm). Responses measured were water loss, solid gain, total soluble solids (TSS), and overall sensory acceptance. The optimum conditions were 60 °Brix, 4 h, and 8 mm thickness, yielding 42.3% water loss, 11.7% solid gain, and a TSS of 19.1 °Brix. Candied slices prepared at this setting scored 8.2 out of 9 in consumer panels. A follow-up shelf-life trial showed the product remained microbiologically safe for 90 days at 25 °C. These results offer coastal Kenyan farmers a simple processing pathway to capture value from surplus jackfruit.