For around 50 years, the pomelo has been delighting people with its combination of bitterness and acidity. Read more about the yellow giant here.
The variety of citrus fruits is enormous and are all incredibly popular: whether that’s oranges in the winter time or fresh lemons in ice cold water on hot summer days. Small and sweet like the tangerine or large and slightly bitter like the grapefruit. In juicy salads or delicious cocktails – the possible uses for the fruit go on and on. And this is certainly also true for the pomelo, which is particularly noticeable on supermarket shelves due to its size – 15 to 25 cm in diameter.
The pomelo was grown in Israel in the 1970s. It is probably a back-crossing of the pomelo and the grapefruit. However, as with many citrus fruits, the exact breeding process is not always fully traceable. The fruit, weighing between 500 g and 2 kg, have now spread over large parts of the world. Consequently, today you can also buy pomelo from South Africa or China, for example, in supermarkets. Pomelo are usually harvested in the winter and spring months of our climate zone, meaning that the fruit is usually available between November and April. However, due to increasing demand, pomelo are now available almost all year round. Outside the main harvesting season, however, they are only available in somewhat smaller quantities, as the growing areas are limited.
Digestive aids – how the pomelo supports the gastrointestinal tract
In addition to a high vitamin C content of 40-60 mg per 100 g, the pomelo also has lots of other beneficial substances. It contains the bitter substance limonin, which stimulates digestion. Eating the fruit helps to promote healthy digestion and stimulate intestinal activity. If your lunch has left you feeling a bit heavy, a little pomelo could not only be a delicious, healthy dessert, but also aid the gastrointestinal tract in the digestion process. This can help minimise that all-too-familiar midday slump. The naringin also contained in the pomelo is also said to counteract high blood pressure – another benefit of the citrus fruit.
However, as is the case with the grapefruit, be sure to not consume too much if you are taking certain medications. The furanocoumarins and the naringin contained in the fruit can block various enzymes and these enzymes are needed to transport substances of various medications from the intestine to the liver, where the substances are to be broken down. If these enzymes become blocked, the medications cannot be broken down and they become less effective. If you regularly take cholesterol-lowering drugs, tranquillisers or calcium channel blockers, you should discuss the consumption of pomelo and similar sorts of citrus fruit with your doctor. Likewise, citrus fruit consumption should be coordinated with a physician for menstruating women who are using the pill as a method of contraception.
So which pomelo should you go for?
Depending on what you are planning on using it for, you may want a particularly sweet fruit. This can already be identified in the supermarket. If the skin of the pomelo is slightly shrivelled and dull, this indicates particularly sweet fruit. In addition, heavier fruit that yields slightly when you press into the peel are said to be sweeter than others. There may be perhaps varieties with different flesh colours on offer in the supermarket. If so, we recommend selecting the white-fleshed pomelo, as these are said to be somewhat more aromatic.
At home, the fruit can be kept at room temperature for up to twenty days. In your Liebherr fridge compartment, the pomelo will keep for just under two months. In the EasyFresh safe, it will keep for even up to 70 days. If you wish, you can also freeze the flesh of the pomelo. This way you can store the delicious fruit for up to a year.
Add this delicious fruit to your favourite dish
Pomelo are incredibly versatile. To enjoy the fruit, the yellowish or pink flesh must first be removed from the thick skin, which varies in colour from pale yellow to a greenish hue. To do this, you should cut off the ends of the pomelo, then peel off the peel in strips, as with oranges. After that, you can also remove the white outer skin from the flesh as you prefer. Now the pomelo is prepared, just add it to your favourite dishes: it is perfect in muesli, a savoury salad, or just as it is on its own or in fruit salads. Pomelo are also great for juicing and their juice can also be enjoyed directly or used in cocktails. In certain parts of Asia, the juice of the pomelo is used to flavour teas. If you want to experiment a little, you can also use the pomelo to make wonderful chutneys, creative jams, delicious spreads or even aromatic ice cream.
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