In Season

Pomelo

By Rob Patronite
Published Jan 17, 2005

(Photo: Kenneth Chen)

A bit of a false advertiser, the pomelo—a.k.a. pummelo, a.k.a. pimplenose, a.k.a. citrus maxima, a.k.a. grapefruit’s overgrown ancestor—looks like it could easily deliver a gallon of juice for breakfast, with plenty left over to top off a round of pomelo Bellinis for lunch. But much of this hefty fruit’s bulk belongs to a thick pith that looks and feels a little like Owens-Corning Fiberglas insulation. Nevertheless, the bigger the fruit, the more rind there is for this bittersweet treat from Sapa’s Patricia Yeo. When life throws you a pithy pomelo, as they say, make candied pomelo peel.

Patricia Yeo’s Candied Pomelo Peel
1 large pomelo
water
2 cups sugar
milk chocolate (optional)

Illustrations by John Burgoyne.

(1) Peel pomelo, taking care to remove as much of the pith as possible, and reserve fruit for another use. Cut the peel into 1⁄4-inch-wide strips. Fill a small pot with water and bring to a boil. Add the pomelo peel and
(2) blanch for 1 minute. Remove peel and drain. Repeat 3 times, changing water each time (this removes some of the peel’s bitterness). After the third blanching, refill pot with 2 cups fresh water and 2 cups sugar. Dissolve sugar over medium-low heat. Bring to a boil, add the peel back to the pot, and reduce heat to low until the peel is translucent and almost no liquid remains, about 1 hour. Remove the peel from the pot and
(3) cool on a wire rack. Toss in granulated sugar (or dip in melted chocolate). Store in airtight container for up to one week.