POMELO (Citrus Grandis)

TROPICAL FRUITS

POMELO (Citrus Grandis)

The pomelo is locally known as limau bali, limau tanbun, liamu abong, limau betawi or limau besar. It is the largest of the citrus family. The ripe fruit is large, about 10 – 30 cm in diameter and weighs more than one kilogram. The recommended planting distance for the pomelo tree is 9 meters x 9 meters. The tree can grow up to 15 meters in height. In Peninsular Malaysia, pomelo is grown mainly in the Tambun district in the state of Perak. The main harvesting seasons are February and September. A marcotted pomelo tree bears fruit three years after planting. The fruit when set is normally wrapped with paper to avoid damag by Dacus. The fruit takes about 6 months to ripe from the setting. The fruit is mature when the color of the skin changes from green to yellowish and the skin is smooth. Maximum yield can be obtained when the tree is about 8 – 10 years. The average yield is 20 tonnes per hectare and its economic life is 20 years.


How to Eat

Hold the fruit with one hand. Cut the outer skin vertically from the top to the bottom. Make a few such cuts then peel the skin, leaving the thin inner skin covering the flesh. The flesh can be eaten with or without the thin inner skin. Pomelos are always consumed in the fresh form.


TROPICAL FRUITS