Karen's fruit of the week - Pomelo

Only a few more weeks until we get our "big" shipment.  Thank goodness as I have been cooking out of one skillet, one saucepan, a cookie sheet and a wok that Scott bought when we got here.  Meals have been somewhat challenging.  Although, I think I have been doing a pretty good job with what I have.  I have made fish, stuffed peppers, cabbage rolls, stir fry, lots of veggies and lots of pasta.  I probably should have packed something to bake bigger things in the oven, but alas I forgot to pack that in our expedite.  Good thing for the cookie sheet as we have baked cookies 3 times since we have been here.  It has been a bit of a challenge converting temperatures to Celsius.  To be honest, I think the bigger challenge for me has been using this tiny convection oven.  Things cook differently and the temp needs to be decreased due to the convention component.  When I do get our big shipment I doubt that half of my pans will even fit in this oven.  Either way, I am making it work and the batch of cookies was pretty darn good considering that I couldn't find real vanilla.  (The vanilla here is "Vanilla Essence" and really different than what I am used to; it's not the "good stuff".)

I think my favorite food perk is the variety of fruits and vegetables.  One day I'll do a post just on the grocery store.  I am still mastering things and still get confused about how things work.  Although, I am continually amazed by what you can buy in the big grocery stores.

So, while all of you are enjoying the approaching fall weather and watching the leaves fall, we are trying all new sorts of fruits.  I decided that it would be fun to start a "fruit of the week" post. Since I am extremely homesick for fall, this was one thing I can enjoy and share with you and would give me a weekly challenge.

I'll start my Fruit/Veg of the week post with the Pomelo fruit.  

I first saw the Pomelo at the Wet Market.  My friend and I eyed it up and wondered what it would be like.  They had the skin cut in half with the fruit still attached to the bottom half.  Big and round, the fruit was about the size of a large softball.  The fruit stand vendor said that it was kind of like a grapefruit, but was sweeter.  That would be a good way to describe it.  While at the grocery store this past week I saw it again.  Only this time it had a tag on it, noting its name.  MALAYSIA POMELO  This one was much larger; about the size of a kickball.  Sounded good to me. 

They had a man peeling the fruit for you.  This fruit takes some effort to get to the goods.  The outer skin is leather like and about an inch thick; less rubbery than other citrus fruits, it rips pretty easily. 

 

Once the outer skin is cut off you need to peel off the white pith.  (yeah, that's what that white stuff is called) 

Pomelo with the outer skin taken off.

Once the pith is off you need to pull off a section and peel off the membrane from the section.  The outer membrane is much tougher than an orange or grapefruit.  Not sure you would want to eat that part.  Once you get the section membrane off, the edible fruit shows itself.  The little juice pieces are all inside and are easy to take off one by one or eat in groups.  The little juice vesicles are laid out in amazing patterns all crammed in that one section. 

Yummy little sections!  Oh yeah, and the taste?  

Yes, much like a grapefruit, but it isn't bitter at all.  I would bet it would make an amazing juice if you wanted to go to all that trouble of peeling the whole thing.

So, there you have it, the Pomelo fruit.  A interesting new Asian citrus fruit, at least for me anyway.

By the way, anyone have an questions or want to know or see anything in particular?  I am up for ideas and would love to hear what you all want to know.  Knowing what you want to know about gives me something to research or blog about.  

Just leave me a comment!