POMELO'S PAGE

Pomelo

Pomelo - 2015
From the backyard - Our garden

  What is it? Where does it come from? Is it delicious? Etc.

When I was little, I used to eat this fruit, which is very similar to Pomelo, we call it 'Jeruk Bali' (Citrus from Bali). The taste is sweet with a touch of sour, it's excellent for mixed fruit salad with palm sugar dressing, I had them a lot.  Come to think of it, the Jeruk Bali may be the second cousin of Pomelo!?



I did a research about it, and this is the information that I got.  I copy and type it for you for easy reading.

Freshly Picked Pomelo
From Our Garden

Pomelo also called Chinese grapefruit.  The pomelo is an exotic large citrus fruit that is an ancient ancestor of the characteristic grapefruit.  It is the largest of the citrus fruits with a shape that can be reasonably round or slightly pointed at one end (the fruit ranges from nearly round to oblate or pear-shaped).  They range from cantaloupe-size to as large as a 25-pound watermelon and have very thick, soft rind.  The skin is green to yellow and slightly bumpy; fresh colour ranges from pink to rose.


Like grapefruits, they can range from almost seedless to very seedy, from juicy to dry, from sweet to sour.  It is sweeter than a grapefruit and can be eaten fresh, although membranes around the segments should be peeled.  Pomelos commonly have 16-18 segments, compared to most grapefruit it about 12 segments.  Be sure to refrigerate and use quickly.  Use as you would grapefruit sections, also useful or jams, jellies, marmalade and syrups.  Pomelo is a versatile and delicious fruit.

The beautiful Pomelo flesh from the
fruits which are well stored.

Peeling Pomelo:  I would keep the pomelo for a few weeks after the harvest, it peels easily.  This picture below shows the steps to peel a pomelo, but I used a very fresh pomelo of the tree.  It was hard and also the membrane did not easily come off, the flesh or the meat broke in pieces, and also the taste is not as sweet compared to the fruit which is stored for weeks.

The pomelo is grown in many eastern countries including China, Japan, India, Fiji, Malaysia and Thailand.  Pomelos are especially popular for Chinese New Year.  The Chinese believe the Pomelo is a sign of prosperity and good fortune - good things will happen if they eat it.

History
Where does it come from?
The Pomelo is native to southeastern Asia and all of Malaysia; grows wild on river banks in the Friendly Islands.  It may have been introduced into China around 100 B.C.  It is much cultivated in China (Kwang-tung, Kwangsi and Fukien Provinces) and especially in southern Thailand on the Cine river; also in Taiwan and southernmost Japan, southern India, Malaya, Indonesia and Tahiti.

In my garden, I planted my pomelo tree,  seven years ago, it is a standard tree (small and pretty) since then, the tree has grown better and more mature.  The fruits grow bigger in size every year, and this year they are more prominent, and the taste is also sweeter.

Using Pomelo in My cooking
1. Fruit salads
2. Salads
3. Candy making
5. Preserving from the rind to the pith.
6. For cake-pomelo cake (based on butter cake)

Candy Peel Pomelo.

To have a darker sugared peel, what you have to do: reduce the syrup to almost half, and put the skins back in the syrup, let them stay in until cool.  Transfer them to the rack to drain and roll on white sugar.  Place on the baking paper and leave them at a dry place overnight.

Golden Sugared Pomelo Peel

Glace pomelo peel is delicious too, use it as you do with glace cherries.  Wait until the skins are well drained, transfer to a dish, cover adequately and refrigerate.

I used the glace pomelo for the garnish of my round brioche.

Pomelo Salad with Battered Prawns.
It is such delicious food, the fried battered prawns indeed complemented the freshness of the salad, the sourness of the pomelo is neutralised by the richness of the prawns.

The Recipe
The flesh of one pomelo
Leafy salad - endive and lettuces (as you like)
The dressing
Juice of a lime
1 tablespoon cream
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon sugar and a pinch of salt
(mix all together)

Dress the salad before serving, place on a serving plate and garnish with the prawns.

Serve the dish as an entree.  It can be served as a light lunch too.


Pomelo Cake.  (edited today, 4/4/2015)

Ingredients
225 g self-raising flour
125 g butter
100 g sugar
100 ml pomelo syrup
4 eggs
1/2 cup pomelo meat, crush with 2 tablespoons water

Method
Cream the butter with sugar until light and fluffy, add in the syrup, mix together quickly.
Add one egg at the time, beat it well.
Stir in the flour and the pomelo mixture, mix to combine to make the smooth thick cake mixture
Spoon onto the baking tin, and bake on the preheated oven for 42-45 minutes.






Preserved Pomelo Pith in Syrup.
It is lovely, excellent for garnishes, or add to the pomelo cake.




It was prepared last season.




I used the preserved for a quick mix mini pomelo ball cake.
Cooked over the stove using cast iron cake utensil, if you don't have it, you can bake in a moderately hot oven for 12 minutes.
Recipe

Mini Pomelo Ball Cake

Mini Pomelo Ball Cake

Ingredients
1 cup self-raising flour and 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup white sugar
(Place them in a mixing bowl, mix the ingredients)
1 egg lightly beaten
1/4 cup oil
1 tablespoon flesh of pomelo (fresh), crush it and mix with 2 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon pomelo syrup
1 tablespoon preserved pomelo in syrup-chop/diced
In another bowl, mix all wet ingredients, stir in the flour mixture and mix together quickly.
Spoon on the oiled muffin tin and bake in a preheated oven at 175 degrees C for 12 minutes
To serve
Dust with icing sugar


Glace Pomelo.
The Glace Pomelo Pith can be so beautiful, as pretty as Stained Glass, it is so shiny.

Slice cooked pomelo in syrup into what shape you wish to have, put them back onto the syrup, put on the stove, bring to a boil, reduce to a gentle simmer for five minutes.  Bring it to a rapid simmer until the syrup looks so frothy for one minute.  Switch off the burner, leave the pomelo in the pot and let them cool together with the syrup.  When they are cool enough, take them out to drain, and now they are ready to keep in a container/jar.  The shiny glace pomelo is ready at any time for garnishes.

The Process

Soft Pomelo Pith in Syrup

Sweet and Shiny Glace Pomelo Pitch
 as Pretty as Stained Glass

Gluten-Free cake with pomelo, it is a treat for you who has a gluten-free diet.  It is simple enough, I am trying to prepare the cake as I do with a sponge cake.

In the backyard: My Pomelo Tree

Ingredients
1 cup gluten-free flour, a teaspoon baking powder
(sift the two elements a few times)
2 tablespoons almond meal
2 eggs
1/2 cup raw sugar
1 tablespoon juice

Method
Preheat the oven at 160 degrees C (fan forced)
Beat the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy
Add in the flour mix, almond meal gently
Stir in the juice of pomelo at last, and mix to combine
Pour the cake mixture into 16 cm round tin
Bake in the preheated oven for 22 minutes
Cool in the tin before transferring onto a cooling tray
Ice the top, and garnish with glace pomelo

I hope it works, I let you know.

To be continued, stay tuned.




Until Next Post
Susy