I bought my first pomelo because it looked like the biggest grapefruit I had ever seen, and then stood in the kitchen trying to work out what to do with it. It turns out pomelo is the fruit grapefruit was bred from, so it has the same clean citrus edge, only much milder and sweeter underneath. The catch is the pith, which is thick and properly bitter, so most of the work is peeling the fruit back to bare segments. Do that and you get a soft, faintly floral juice that takes beautifully to a couple of sweet apples and a squeeze of lemon. This is how I make it.
Why these ingredients work
Pomelo is the one worth getting right. Grapefruit is a cross between a pomelo and a sweet orange, and the family likeness shows up in the vitamin C: around 61 mg per 100 g of fresh flesh against roughly 31 mg for pink grapefruit. What it does not have is grapefruit’s aggressive bitterness, so you can drink a decent glass without pulling a face. The apples do the quiet work, softening the citrus and bringing enough natural sugar that nothing else needs adding. The lemon sharpens the whole thing without taking over, and half is plenty.
Juicing rather than eating is mostly about speed. The trade-off is the fibre, which stays in the pulp when you strain it, so this is a drink to have alongside breakfast rather than instead of eating the fruit. And if you take any medicine that carries a grapefruit warning, read the second question below before you get the juicer out.
FAQ
Is pomelo the same as grapefruit?
No, but they are close family. Grapefruit is a cross between a pomelo and a sweet orange, which makes pomelo the parent rather than the same fruit. Pomelo is larger and much milder, sweeter and far less bitter, with a noticeably thicker pith. Some shops sell it as shaddock or Chinese grapefruit, which is the same fruit under an older name.
Does pomelo juice carry the same medication warning as grapefruit?
Yes, and this is the one that matters. The trouble with grapefruit is a group of compounds called furanocoumarins that block an enzyme in the gut wall called CYP3A4, so certain medicines end up being absorbed in larger amounts than intended. Pomelo contains the same compounds, so the same warning applies. If you take a statin such as simvastatin or atorvastatin, a blood pressure tablet from the calcium channel blocker group, or anything else that comes with a grapefruit warning on the label, have a word with your pharmacist before you drink pomelo juice regularly. It is a two minute question and they will know straight away.
Can I make it in a blender instead of a juicer?
Yes. Blend the prepared pomelo segments and the chopped apples with 150 ml of cold water for about a minute, then strain through a nut milk bag or a fine sieve and press the pulp to get the last of the liquid out. It is a little softer in texture than the juicer version but it tastes the same. Add the lemon juice after straining so you can taste as you go.
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Pomelo, Apple and Lemon Juice
Equipment
- Nut milk bag
Ingredients
For the juice
- 1 large pomelo about 450 g whole, roughly 300 g of peeled flesh. Sold as shaddock or Chinese grapefruit in some shops.
- 2 sweet apples about 300 g. Gala, Braeburn or a Cox all work.
- 1/2 unwaxed lemon unwaxed matters here because the half goes into the juicer peel and all.
Instructions
Juicer method
- Top and tail the pomelo, score the skin into quarters down through to the pith, then peel it away with your hands. Pull the segments apart, then strip the membrane and any remaining white pith off each one and flick out the pips. Take your time here, this is the difference between a nice glass and a harsh one.
- Juice the apples first so the basket is already wet, then the pomelo segments, then the lemon half. Apples first keeps the drier pomelo from sitting in the basket on its own.
- Give it a stir, pour it over ice and drink it cold. It keeps a day in a sealed bottle in the fridge, though it is at its best straight away.
Blender method
- Prepare the pomelo the same way, getting rid of every scrap of pith and membrane.
- Core and roughly chop the apples, leaving the skin on, then put them in the blender with the pomelo segments, the juice of the lemon half and 150 ml of cold water.
- Blend until completely smooth, then strain through a nut milk bag or a fine sieve, pressing the pulp with the back of a spoon to get all the liquid out. Serve cold.