Candied Pomelo Peel and Pith

I was recently introduced to Pomelo and I fell in love with this giant citrus fruit. But I felt that the thick rind was a waste to throw away, so I wondered if it would be possible to make some sweets with it.

Then I discovered that in Asia, they make candied pomelo peel and pith. And it’s a delicacy! I always thought the pomelo was a giant grapefruit, and I’m not a huge fan of grapefruit because of the bitterness. But pomelo is just something else. So now you can enjoy the pulp as it is and make some sweets out of the rind.

What is Pomelo?

Pomelo is one of the original citrus fruits and it’s purely natural, a non-hybrid fruit, native to Southeast Asia. It’s similar to grapefruit but less bitter and is sweet enough to eat easily. Grapefruit for example, is a cross of pomelo and sweet orange. It looks like a giant grapefruit and it weighs around 1-2 kilos (2-4 lbs). Pomelos also have a thicker rind and more pith (the white part of the skin that lies under the skin).

How to make Candied Pomelo Peel and Pith

When making Candied Pomelo Peel and Pith the procedure is exactly the same . But I prefer to just cook them separately so they don’t stick together. If you prefer, you can cook just the skin or the pith and not both.

Preparing

• Thoroughly wash and dry the pomelo.

• Cut the peel from the pomelo. Separate as much of the white pith from the peel as you can. But not all.

• Then cut the peel into strips about ½ cm (0.2 in) long and place in a saucepan.

• Next, cut the pith into 2×3 cm (( 0.8 – 1.2 in ) thick pieces and put it in another saucepan.

• Add water to each pan and bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes and drain in a colander, then rinse with cold water and gently squeeze out as much water as you can from both skin and pith. They will return to their original shape, just like a sponge.

• Do the same procedure one more time. Boil, strain, rinse and squeeze. This should remove all bitterness.

Cooking

• Add sugar and water in two different saucepans and bring to a boil. Add 1 cup of water and 1 cup of sugar for every cup of squeezed peel or pith.

• Drain and then squeeze out as much water as you can from both skin and pith.

• Then add the peel in one pan and the pith in the other and cook on high heat for 3 minutes. Then lower to medium heat and simmer for about 20-30 minutes or until it looks translucent and glossy and the syrup has been absorbed.

• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the pieces on top, in a single layer, leaving some space between them.

• If you like, you can coat each piece with sugar by dipping them in a bowl of sugar before placing them on the parchment paper.

• Let the pith dry for 1-2 days. The peel dries much faster (turn the pieces 2 – 3 times so they dry all over)..

• When the peel/pith is dry and stiff, you can dip half the pomelo candy in melted chocolate. Dip the peel/pith in the chocolate and leave to dry until they have hardened.

• Store in an airtight container.

If you liked Candied Pomelo Peel and Pith, you may also like:

Macerated Strawberries in Ouzo

Fig Jam With Vanilla and Cardamom

Lemon Curd

Enjoy!