How to properly clean and eat pomelo at home

Properties of pomelo

This fruit contains many necessary properties and elements, such as potassium, magnesium, manganese, iron, copper, zinc, calcium, ascorbic acid, pectin, glycoside, vitamins B1, B2, B6, B9 and B12, as well as essential oils, carbohydrates . 100 grams of fruit contains about 36 kcal.

Beneficial features

Pomelo, compared to other citrus fruits, leads in the number of substances important for the body, which:

1. Strengthen the immune system, minimize vitamin deficiency.
2. Prevents early skin aging.
3. Increases blood circulation, heart function, metabolism, vision and digestive processes.
4. Has anti-inflammatory properties.
5. Prevents headaches, atherosclerosis, blood pressure, hypertension, anemia.
6. Reduces weight, perfect for dietary nutrition.
7. Removes sugar from the blood.
8. Fights asthma, pneumonia, bronchitis, smoking addiction, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases, insomnia, fatigue.
9. Improves brain function.

Important!

In order to cleanse the body of toxins, you should eat a little pomelo after breakfast.

Contraindications

Despite the impressive list of benefits when eating this fruit, you should first consider several contraindications so as not to harm yourself:

• It is not recommended to use for ulcers, nephritis, colitis, hepatitis, high acidity in the stomach, urolithiasis, gastritis, liver and kidney disease;
• You should not eat if you are allergic to it, as your throat may become swollen;
• It is not advisable to eat while breastfeeding.

How to choose a pomelo

Knowing how to choose the right sheddok is quite important, because only a ripe fruit will have all the necessary qualities. It is able to withstand transportation well from other countries due to its thick peel and loose white layer under it.

Types of pomelo

It, like many other citrus fruits, has several types that will help you easily determine its contents inside without cutting the pomelo:

1. Red - they are presented in the form of an oval, green. It has red flesh and a sour, bitter taste.
2. White - resembles the shape of a pear, but only larger. Inside is white and sweet.
3. Pink is very juicy and sweet. Looks like a flattened ball. It tastes sweetish.

Selection rules

To ensure that after purchasing a fruit it does not turn out to be tasteless or spoiled, you need to follow several recommendations when choosing:

1. If the color of the peel is not uniform, with dark places, burgundy spots, damage, then it is not advisable to buy such a fruit.
2. An unripe pomelo is characterized by its hardness.
3. A ripe fruit will be quite heavy, with a smooth skin, a unique smell, medium in size and will be slightly squeezable when pressed.
4. A spoiled sheddock has an unpleasant odor.
5. If a dent remains after pressing, then the pulp no longer contains any useful substances.

Growing at home

Pomelo reproduces by seeds and air layering. At home, the first option is used.

Pomelo from a seed

Seeds should be extracted from mature, high-quality fruits, or rather, from their lobules. When choosing seeds, be sure to ensure that they are not damaged or deformed. They need to be washed and dried, and then soaked in lukewarm water for 10–12 hours. Next, it is recommended to germinate the seeds, for which they should be wrapped in a damp cloth (cotton wool, sponge, sphagnum moss) and placed in a warm place for several days, periodically wetting the “cushion”. You can start planting them in the ground after the sprouts appear.

It is necessary to prepare a pot or container (necessarily - with drainage holes at the bottom!). The bottom layer (about 4–5 cm) may consist of expanded clay, crushed stone, crushed brick or pieces of foam. The main soil should contain humus, turf soil and sand. It is recommended to purchase the mixture at a flower shop.

Growing at home Photo: © James Steakley

The sprouted seeds should be placed in holes about 3 cm deep and sprinkled with earth. Stronger sprouts are transplanted using the transshipment method to avoid damage to the delicate roots. When the pomelo has entwined the entire soil layer with its root system, the citrus fruit will need to be moved to a larger container, following the process described above.

Advice Do not replant the plant at the moment of flowering and fruiting!

Regime and care

For good development of citrus fruit, warm conditions (up to +30–35 degrees) and relatively humid air in the range of 65–85% are suitable. During the cold season, the temperature should not fall below +12–15 degrees. When choosing a location, it is necessary to take into account that pomelo loves sunlight, but not direct rays, and does not tolerate proximity to heating devices.

The plant should be watered individually, avoiding drying out or waterlogging the soil. In this case, the water must be settled, melt or rain. Excessive zeal, as well as insufficient care of the pomelo, can cause harm and destroy the plant.

Flowers and buds Photo: © Daderot

Advice In summer, soil moisture should be monitored daily.

Citrus requires:

• fertilizing - mineral and organic fertilizers are sold in stores and markets;
• crown formation - you need to pinch the top when the side shoots are formed;
• protection against pests - it is recommended to use biological preparations rather than pesticides;
• spraying leaves - from a spray bottle 1-2 times a day in summer, once a week in winter and in the shower once a month;
• additional lighting in winter - using a fluorescent lamp or LEDs with a warm color range.

Pomelo flowers can be expected in the third year of citrus life, but fruits are not always set. This can happen in a few years if the optimal development regime of the plant is observed, with proper care and pollination.

How to clean

There are 2 ways to clean the sheddock – spiral and vertical. Before starting cleansing, it is better to scald it with boiling water to completely get rid of all harmful bacteria or rinse it under warm water. This will also help soften the peel, making peeling easier.

Vertical method

To begin with, both tops are cut off on both sides, and then longitudinal cuts are made along the entire peel. Next, all the cut parts are removed, starting from the top. Shaddock looks like a large tangerine with the same segments. They are wrapped in a thick membrane, which will also need to be removed. To do this, cut off the narrow part of the slice using a knife, and then peel it off along with the white layer below.

Spiral method

With this method, you make a spiral cut around the entire fruit from top to bottom. Then tear the skin from the bottom and tear it off completely. Then the same procedure is performed as in the vertical method. However, due to the fairly thick peel, either option requires some effort.

Interesting!

As a result of crossing an orange and a pomelo, grapefruit was formed.

Description of the fruit

Pomelo is an exotic fruit. Its story begins in China, where it was first grown, and, at first, the Chinese were reluctant to tell foreigners about it. A pomelo was even presented as a special gift, and its presence on the dinner table was considered a sign of the family’s financial well-being.

Indeed, this product is not the cheapest, but at the same time not the most expensive, and everyone can afford to purchase and try this treat. Then the pomelo came to Asia, and then to Europe, and now it can be found in absolutely every supermarket.

Pomelo, along with orange and grapefruit, is considered a citrus, but differs significantly from them in taste and appearance. The weight of the fruit can reach 10 kilograms and it looks much more massive than its predecessors, which were discussed a little earlier.

As it is

In order to fully enjoy the great taste, it is advisable to eat only the peeled pulp. It is better to remove the peel, film, seeds, seeds and discard. It can be consumed either fresh or in combination with various dishes. You should not mix pomelo with sugar, because it itself has a rather sweet taste and adding it will only worsen the quality.

Hybrids

The exotic fruit itself is not a hybrid, a product of selection or genetic engineering, but it can be crossed. The following hybrids with pomelo are known:

• pomelite, oroblanco, sweetie - with white grapefruit;
• tangelo - with tangerine (a type of mandarin);
• mandelos - with tangerine;
• Pomeranian, Kinotto, Bigardia - with a mandarin hybrid;
• hugonatsu - with yuzu.

Hybrid with white grapefruit – sweetie Photo: © Yot

The list of exotic names can be continued, but it would be better to remember the bitter grapefruit, familiar to us from childhood. In 1750, it was first described as a “forbidden fruit” by the British botanist Griffiths Huge. This citrus fruit received its modern name in 1814 thanks to Jamaican traders who compared fruit growing in clusters to grapes. What does grapefruit have to do with it if we are talking about pomelo? As it turns out, there is a direct connection between them.

Not long ago, a group of Chinese scientists published the results of genetic research showing that grapefruit is the result of a natural cross between a pomelo and a sweet orange, in other words, an accidental hybrid of the two. The orange, in turn, may itself be a hybrid of a pomelo and a tangerine.

Storing pomelo

If the fruit is stored in the wrong conditions, it can lose all its properties and beneficial substances. That is why, in order to prevent this from happening, it is important to store it correctly:

1. It is not advisable to leave the fruit in an airtight package.
2. If you place a broom near other fruits, it can absorb all the smell and spoil.
3. It is not recommended to store in a place exposed to sunlight.
4. With a constant supply of fresh air, it lasts much longer even at 20 degrees Celsius.
5. It is preferable to pack peeled citrus in cling film or a plastic container.
6. Once frozen, it may lose all flavor and texture.

If the pomelo remains constantly in the refrigerator or in a cool room, the period increases to 5 months, however, the lower the temperature, the sooner it will dry. Therefore, the mode from 0 to +9 degrees is best suited.

Adviсe

Some recommendations for selecting, cleaning and using pomelo will help you avoid throwing money down the drain when purchasing:

1. When living in a polluted environment, it is advisable to eat sheddock regularly.
2. In the field of cosmetology, this fruit is used in masks, scrubs and peels.
3. Pomelo peel contains essential oils that improve the digestive system. You can dry it, make jam or tincture.
4. Do not press too hard on the slice when peeling, so that all the juice does not leak out.
5. To preserve it for a longer period, it is recommended to wrap it in paper and first rub it with vegetable oil.
6. After peeling the fruit, it can remain intact and fresh for two days.
7. It is preferable to clean in a deep bowl so that the juice that flows out can be used further.

Pomelo is a unique fruit with a unique taste. It contains a huge amount of useful substances that can easily heal the entire body without causing any unpleasant consequences. However, with the wrong choice, incorrect cleaning and illiterate use, you can not only not get any benefit, but also cause harm.

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Application

Cosmetology. Pomelo is used in preparing cosmetics at home. A mask made from pulp, to which lemon juice, honey, and green tea are added, serves to moisturize and nourish the skin.

Oily skin can be wiped with pure sheddock juice; to moisturize dry skin, the juice must be diluted with boiled water.

Regular consumption of citrus improves the condition of skin, nails and hair.