So, every 2 weeks at Kitchen Stories, we'll be highlighting a different in-season ingredient along with 3 new recipes. Grapefruit, botanical name Citrus paradise, is a natural hybrid between a pomelo and sweet orange. Cut peel lengthwise into 1/4- inch strips. Often times referred to as pummelo, the pomelo is an ancestor of the grapefruit, and is also the largest citrus fruit in the world! If you’re growing pomelo in cold weather grow it in a pot. With 4-12 inches across, this citrus giant looks and tastes just like a grapefruit, but because of its thick peel, lasts much longer. It can also be grown in partial sun, but it will produce less fruits. Soil. In season: October-January White grapefruit : It wasn’t until 1948 when scientists classified the grapefruit as a cross between the pomelo (long native of Southeast Asia) and the orange — though the first groves were planted near Tampa in 1823. Pomelos were first grown in China around 100 BC. To the market, we go! Like all citrus varieties, pomelo needs full sun to produce its large juicy fruits. If you're interested in learning how to grow pomelo as an alternative to grapefruit, keep reading! The trees grow between 20 and 40 feet tall and produce fuzzy leaves and white blossoms, much like orange trees. Pomelo can be grown in many types of soil, however in grows best in medium textured soil of pH around 5.5 to 7. The giant, bittersweet citrus fruit pomelo is packed full of vitamin C to help strengthen the immune system—especially in useful in these colder months. Remove peel and trim ends. In the wild, pomelos can weigh up to 25 pounds. In the prime growing region of Bang Bakok in southern Thailand, the mean temperature is 82.4º F (28º C) and mean annual rainfall is 56 in (143 cm), being heaviest from May through October and scant in January, February and March, and November and December. Candied pomelo peel: Deeply score a small to medium cleaned pomelo (2 pounds) in eighths. Pomelos tend to prefer warm climates and … Requirements Sun. It was first known as “the forbidden fruit” and was later called “grapefruit” due to its grape-like cluster when growing on trees.