General Description/History

• Similar to the grapefruit, but larger with thicker skin
• Flesh is pale pink, white or yellow in colour
• The flesh easily segments into large pieces like a mandarin
• Fruit is large, being 20cm in diameter
• Skin is light green or pale yellow at maturity
• Flesh has a pleasant sweet acid flavour without the bitterness of a grapefruit

The pummelo tree is a typical citrus with shiny dark leaves. It is one of the most distinct species of the citrus genus and can be separated from other citrus species by its young shoots which are covered in fine hairs, its huge leaves and its very large fruit.

The flowers are fragrant, produced singly or in clusters of 2-10 at the leaf axils. They are the largest of all citrus species and are about 2cm long with white petals, a large central white stigma and numerous orange anthers.

The fruit keeps for long periods due to its thick peel. After three months, the peel will be deeply wrinkled, but the pulp will be juicier and usually of a more appealing flavour.

Segmented pulp can be used in salads, desserts or preserved in butters and marmalades. The extracted juice is an excellent beverage.

The pummelo is tropical or near tropical and flourishes naturally at low altitudes close to the sea. Soil types preferred are those rich in silt and sand overlying an organically enriched clay loam. It is highly tolerant of brackish water. The pummelo is less cold tolerant than grapefruit, but has a comparable heat requirement to mature its fruit.

The pummelo originates from the Malaysia-lndo China region and has spread throughout the tropics. It is the most tropical of the citrus fruits, poorly distributed, under utilised and often least known. It may have been introduced into China around 100 B.C. The first seeds are believed to have been brought to the New World late in the 17th century by a Captain Shaddock who stopped at Barbados on his way to England.

In 1902, the United States Department of Agriculture obtained several plants from Thailand. One survived and was planted in the agricultural greenhouse in Washington, however flavour and general quality of the resulting fruit aroused no enthusiasm. Research continued but the pummelo has never attained significant status. Generally it is casually grown as an interest crop and for experimental breeding.

Nutritional Value

Like all other citrus fruits, pummelos are a good source of vitamin C. Further nutritional analyses are still to be conducted.

Storage/Handling

15°C and 85 – 95% relative humidity.

Consumer Storage: Store at room temperature or in the refrigerator crisper for a short time.

Season: Winter,Spring

Botanical Name: Citrus maxima (Rutaceae)

Alternative Names: Pamplemouse, Shaddock

Availablity: June,July,August,September,October,November

Growing Areas: 

QLD – South East, Tropical North
SA – Riverland
NT – Darwin