The giant fruit pomelo was only developed in Israel in the 1970s. This new type of citrus with very he althy and low-calorie fruits was created from a cross between grapefruit and grapefruit. Ripe pomelos taste rather sweet, but the white skins inside are rather bitter and tough. They should therefore be removed.
How do you know when a pomelo is ripe?
A ripe pomelo has a dull and slightly wrinkled skin. Yellow or yellow-orange fruits are often available in the supermarket, but those with a dull skin taste sweeter. In your own garden, the ripening process requires a lot of warmth and sun, which can be difficult in many regions.
Pomelo – When is it ripe?
In the supermarket you can usually find large fruits (pomelos often weigh around 500 grams, but can weigh up to a kilogram) with a yellow or yellow-orange, smooth and shiny peel. Even if these pomelos look very tempting - it's better to choose the ones with the rather dull and slightly wrinkled skin. Such fruits usually taste significantly sweeter. By the way, so-called “honey pomelos” mostly come from China and taste exactly as they are called: honey-sweet. If the pomelo tastes dry, it was already too old.
When are the fruits on my pomelo tree ripe?
The likelihood that you will actually be able to harvest ripe (and edible) fruit from your pomelo tree is unfortunately low. Pomelos usually bloom between May and June, but the fruits only ripen from November onwards and need a lot of warmth and sun for the ripening process. However, since it is naturally dark and cold here in winter, we do not have the necessary conditions for ripening fruit. If you actually want to harvest citrus fruits, choose lemons, tangerines or kumquats.
How to eat the pomelo?
Pomelos are usually eaten as fruit, but you can peel them like an orange.
- First remove the fruit rind.
- Disassemble the individual segments and peel off the tough skin.
- Alternatively, you can cut the fruit in half.
- Then use a knife to loosen the juice tubes from the walls of the segments.
- Now you can remove them with a spoon and eat them.
Pomelos (which, like all citrus fruits, are also berries) are less juicy than other citrus fruits and are therefore rarely used to make fruit juice. The thick albedo, as the white layer up to four centimeters thick between the peel and the pulp inside the fruit is called, is sometimes candied without the outer peel and used as a candy or as an ingredient in dishes and pastries.
Nutritional values of pomelo
The amount of he althy ingredients in a pomelo varies and can vary greatly depending on the size and degree of ripeness of the fruit. 100 grams of pomelo contains on average:
- 45 kcal
- 10 grams of carbohydrates
- 0.8 grams protein
- 41 milligrams of vitamin C
- Potassium, calcium and magnesium
100 grams of the sweet-bitter honey pomelo, on the other hand, has the following values:
- 32 kcal
- 12 grams of carbohydrates
- 0.7 grams protein
- 0.6 grams fat
Pomelos are therefore very low in calories and are therefore ideal for a delicious and he althy snack. The fruit also tastes very refreshing in an exotic fruit salad.
Tips & Tricks
The pomelo also goes very well with more hearty dishes. You can combine the fruit with a mixture of fresh lettuce and strips of fried beef or chicken breast fillet. Serve with a light yogurt dressing or a vinaigrette made from olive oil and orange juice.