The Inspiration of Urbnspice Series
I live in the Okanagan Valley in beautiful British Columbia. Now that the colder weather has arrived, I truly miss the abundance of seasonal fresh fruit. There are a number of alternatives now available in the grocery stores that are unique and delicious. One of the seasonal fruits that are currently available at this time of year are pomelos, which are similar in appearance to a grapefruit but larger. A Pomelo is an interesting citrus fruit native to South and South Eastern Asia. What is noteworthy about pomelo – the largest cultivated citrus fruit, is that it is an original citrus species from which a number of cultivated citrus fruits were hybridized from.
Pomelo is often described as a mild tasting grapefruit. In this post, I will address some of the unique characteristics of pomelo. I will teach you how to prepare and use a Pomelo. I will discuss not only the fruit of the pomelo but also the peel and the pith – all of these pomelo parts have their usefulness.
How to Buy a Pomelo:
When purchasing pomelo, look for a fruit that feels quite heavy for its size, and is unblemished with no soft spots. It should be kept refrigerated and used within a week. The pomelo that I purchased was a sweet seed-free pomelo, however, there are varieties that are very tart. Eating the sweet pomelo fruit is a refreshing treat as it does not have the bitterness of a grapefruit and has a slight sweetness. The thin peel of the pomelo is very fragrant and useful in candied peel, mild marmalade and confectionery. The fruit of a pomelo is in its core, surrounded by a thick layer of spongy pith. Unfortunately, the pith is often discarded. In this post, I will outline a very interesting option regarding how to effectively use the pomelo pith.
Health Benefits of Pomelo:
Eating a pomelo is not only refreshing; it provides over 600% of your daily requirement for Vitamin C, which is an excellent immune system booster. It is an antioxidant, which improves wound healing, and assists with skin and gum health. It also contains potassium, which aids in bone health, as well as levels of vitamin B1, zinc and other nutrients, which promote hair quality and hair health. In addition, eating pomelo fruit helps prevents anemia and urinary tract infection, promotes healing, healthy gums, and heart health. It is also said to help in the fight against cancer and ageing, as well as assist in weight loss. The benefits of pomelo are numerous – I would go so far as to call it a super fruit.
Here are some ways that I have used the fruit, peel and pith of the pomelo:
The Pomelo Fruit:
It takes some work to get to the fruit, but the result is well worth it. Here is your tutorial:

Score the pomelo through the thin skin and the thick layer of white spongy pith until you feel the firm fruit inside its core. Take each section of the peel/pith in your hand and pry it away from the fruit as shown.

Once the peel and pith are pulled away from the fruit of the pomelo, the pomelo fruit segments can be readily peeled by hand.

Separate the segments of the pomelo. The segment skin is easy to peel from the segments

The membranes of the pomelo hold the pulp, which can be separated easily into these individual juice vesicles.
The vesicles are delicious in spinach salads, chopped salads and in cauliflower tabbouleh. This delicious and attractive salad is a variation of my original recipe. It includes the addition of pomelo vesicles, pomegranate arils, chopped pistachios, parsley and mint.

The addition of pomelo vesicles makes it even more flavourful and healthy.
The Pomelo Peel:
I could tell you stories about a culinary coach in an international dessert competition tutoring me on how to painstakingly peel a long thin strip of lemon peel, which was then candied, and finally coiled around a wooden skewer to shape into a beautiful dessert garnish. Suffice it to say that a delicious candied pomelo peel is much easier to make since the peel can be cut into thin strips much easier!
How to Make Candied Pomelo Peel:
This is a simple technique that requires several easy steps:
- Peel the pomelo following the process is shown in the photographs above.
- Remove the peel from the pith, which is easy to do if you push it flat against a firm surface and slide the tip of the knife under the peel. Remove as much of the white pith as possible, trying to keep the peel and the pith intact. (see photo) Set the pith aside for later.
Removing the think peel from the layer of pith is quite easy
- Slice the pomelo peel into thin strips. Place the peel in a small pot of boiling water. Boil for one minute; drain the water and repeat the water/blanching process two more times. This removes the bitterness from the pomelo peel, leaving a mild citrus flavour.
- Next, bring one cup of water to a simmer. Add 1 cup of granulated sugar. Stir to dissolve. Add the blanched peel and simmer the peel for approximately one hour, uncovered until the sugar syrup is absorbed into the peel. Stir occasionally to keep the peel immersed in the syrup. The peel will become translucent and shiny.
The pomelo peel becomes translucent and shiny
- The last step in the process is to coat the peel in sugar. Using a medium-sized bowl, place one-half cup granulated sugar. After one hour, immediately add the hot candied peel to the granulated sugar and toss quickly and thoroughly to coat the peel. It will quickly harden. Place the individual sugared peel strands on a rack to dry.
Sugar coating the pomelo peel
Once the peel is completely dry and crispy, store in an airtight glass jar. Use as a garnish for pastries, cakes, crème brulée or eat out of hand for a snack.

Store the pomelo peel in an airtight container
Alternatively, the peel can be partially dipped in chocolate for an attractive and unique edible gift or garnish. The translucent peel can be stored in the sugar syrup (omitting the final sugar process) and placed in the refrigerator until required. It will remain soft and pliable.
The Pomelo Pith:
I have used the pith of the pomelo as a natural way to add long-lasting fragrance to my homemade potpourri or sachets. Simply dice the pith into ¼-inch dice and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Dry in the oven overnight by leaving the oven light on. By morning, the pith should be dry and crispy without colour. To use in potpourri or sachets, use a few drops of essential oil of your choice in some of the dried pomelo pith. Add the perfumed pith to dried flower petals or lavender. The dried pomelo pith will hold the fragrance from the essential oils for a very long time. Store any remaining dried pith in an airtight container for future use.

Cut the pomelo pith into strips, then dice it into small pieces as shown

Dry the diced pomelo pith overnight and use as a natural addition to potpourri sachets
Another way to use dried pomelo pith and peel (and other dried citrus pith and peel), is to pulverize the dried pith into a powder and add the powder in small amounts to fruit smoothies. The powdered pith and peel is high in fibre, which may help to lower cholesterol levels, reduce inflammation, antioxidants, helps possible reduce rises in blood sugars and could have an effect on weight management and metabolism. The pith contains as much Vitamin C as the fruit. One word of caution that I learned from my research is to be aware of any drug interactions/conflicts if you are taking cholesterol medication and similar medication. Consult your medical practitioner.
The peel and the pith of the pomelo are used in numerous ways in Asian cuisine and culture. I came across an intriguing recipe for braised pomelo pith, which requires three days of soaking in water to remove the bitterness of the pith. As mentioned previously, the peel and pith combination is also used as a great smelling hair treatment.
It is not often that you can say that every bit of a food item can be used – pomelo is clearly one of the exceptions. If you learned something today, please leave me a comment and don’t forget to pin this for later.
Please CLICK the link above to access my Urb’n’Spice LEARNING TIPS, which are listed alphabetically on the Learning Tips blog post under the following subheadings:
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You Might Also Enjoy these Urb’n’Spice Posts Using Unique Fruits and Vegetables:
How to Prepare and Use Lemon Cucumber
Orange Glazed Roasted Salmon with Orange Fennel Salad
Caramelized Prune Plum Frangipane Galette
If you learned anything today about The Amazing Pomelo, please leave me a comment below with your feedback. Don’t forget to pin this information for later!
Denise Paré-Watson
The Urb’n’Spice Chef
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SOURCES:
Additional Health Benefits of Eating Pomelo
Dehydrating Pomelo Rinds
Health benefits of eating pomelo and other citrus pith
I learned that I should stop throwing out the pith! Oops! Thanks
lol. You know, it is funny but years ago, I would look for pomelos that were light in weight because I wanted more pith for my potpourri (the fruit was an afterthought because I think I had only tried the tart ones). Now, after tasting the sweet pomelo like the one in this post, I pick the heaviest one that I can find. I had almost a kilogram of beautiful fruit, in addition to all that thin peel and pith. Pomelos rock!
This is so cool! I love all the ways to use the peel, wasting none. I can’t wait to try making the candies peel. Thanks!
Thanks so much for your comments, Sabrina! ? I am excited to hear if you try making the candied peel. The Pomelo is delicious – give it a try.
I must try pomelo! Thank you for this great tutorial. I like that you’ve used every part of the fruit.
Many thanks, Cathy. The Pomelo is certainly worth trying. It is fun to play with and delicious to eat.
We bought a pomelo last year, and I was a bit overwhelmed by the huge size. I’ll be giving it a second chance now with all of this inspiration. That tabbouleh looks delicious, and I really love how you used every bit of the fruit. My favourite is the chocolate covered peel. It sounds yummy! And using pith in potpourri is genius. Thanks for such a great, informative post, Denise!
I am so glad that you will give Pomelo a second chance, Colleen, and that I have helped in making the job of preparing it less overwhelming. It is unique and refreshingly delicious. (And chocolate covered candied Pomelo peel is so good!!). Many thanks for your comments.
I’ve never tried a pomelo, and I actually don’t think I’ve ever seen one around here. But now I really want to try one! Thanks for all the information in this post Denise! Super helpful. Happy almost weekend!
Happy almost weekend to you as well, Leanne. ? ? I do hope that you will get the chance to taste a Pomelo one day. I know that you would enjoy it. Thanks so much for your comments. Cheers!
Love this! Thanks for a super informative post. I had no idea you could use the pith in potpourri.
Thank you so much, Chef! Pomelo is such an interesting fruit in all respects. It is funny, before I ever started buying pomelo to eat, I was using it for my potpourri. Now I use every bit of it. The thin peel is outstanding!
Wow, Denise, you have covered it all! Thanks for a super informative post. I won’t pass up the pomelos next time I’m shopping !
Thanks so much, Elaine! I hope Pomelo make their way to your local grocery store. They are wonderful citrus fruit. You will enjoy it (especially the gluten-free cauliflower taboulleh! ?❤️
This is so cool, Denise! I had never even heard of a Pomelo! I love that’s it’s so versatile and you can do so many things with it (the pith and peel even) but I especially love the potpourri! Thanks for the education 🙂
You are the best, Terri and always send me words of encouragement why I love doing what I do. Many thanks for your comments. Please let me know if you get a chance to try this wonderful winter citrus fruit. You will love it!
Such a great how to for a fruit that many people aren’t necessarily familiar with! Thanks for sharing.
I appreciate your comments so much, Kristen, because that is precisely what I wanted to achieve. Pomelo is so worthwhile checking out – we love it and know that you will enjoy it too if you get a chance to try it. Please let me know if you do! ❤️?
This is such a helpful article! Pomelo is one of those exotic fruits that can be intimidating at first. I love that you gave ideas to use ALL of it!
I just wish they didn’t come wrapped in plastic nets, but I sometimes see them without. I’ll definitely give it a try. I was thinking about making candied oranges and lemon peel for Christmas 🙂
Thank you so much for your kind words, Aryane! Pomelo is a very interesting fruit and fun to play with, especially the peel, which is easier by far than dealing with orange and lemon peel as it is so thin. Good luck with your Christmas peel project. Happy holidays!
https://ronitpenso.wordpress.com/2020/01/12/candied-pomelo-rind/ This is a lovely candy recipe that, according to the author, is sourced directly from the Sephardic Jewish community in Izmir, Turkey. I’m experimenting at the moment, but I suspect that if one uses a quick run in the dehydrator rather than air drying as the recipe instructs, what you would get would be something like a natural citrus gusher.