Old Farmer's Experience: How Can You Tell If a Pomelo Is Ripe? How Do You Choose a Pomelo?

Pomelo flesh is relatively high in vitamin C. It helps with digestion and relieves the toxic effects of alcohol. Right now is exactly the season when pomelos hit the market, so how can you tell if a pomelo is ripe? How do you choose a pomelo? Now let's hear the experience of Uncle Li, a pomelo grower in Xiangxi, Hunan.

When buying, how do you tell if a pomelo is ripe?

1. Smell: that is, smell the aroma. A fully ripe pomelo has a rich, fragrant scent;

2. Tap: that is, press and tap the fruit's outer skin to see whether it sinks in. A pomelo that sinks in and has no springiness is of poorer quality.

When buying a pomelo, note that a ripe pomelo will smell very fragrant. When you buy it, press its outer skin again; a ripe pomelo's outer skin will sink inward, and if the surface is thin, you can basically buy it.

3. If you buy a pomelo that is not very ripe yet, a few days will do. If you are in a hurry, you can take these ripening measures to ripen it quickly:

(1) Rice ripening method. With ordinary rice, bury the pomelo you want to ripen in the rice. Generally after 5 days, the fruit will be completely ripe. You can reduce or increase the time according to how ripe the fruit itself is.

(2) Banana and apple ripening method. Put the pomelo you want to ripen together with bananas or apples, tie the bag tightly, and generally after 3 days it will be completely ripe.

There are so many kinds of pomelos on the market, so how should you choose?

1. A pomelo with fine, smooth skin tastes better. If a pomelo's skin is rather rough or too yellow, it may be because it has been stored too long or did not grow well. A pomelo with fine, clean skin that is pale yellow or orange-yellow is well ripened, with lots of juice and sweet flavor.

2. A pomelo with thin skin tastes better. Cut the pomelo open with a knife; if the skin is rather thick, it shows it will not taste very good. A good-tasting pomelo generally has relatively thin skin. Or press the skin with your hand: if it is rather hard, the skin is thin; if it is rather soft, the skin is thick.

3. A heavier pomelo tastes better. A heavier pomelo contains more water, so it tastes better. For pomelos of the same size, first weigh one with your right hand, then weigh a second one. Be careful not to compare using your left and right hands at the same time, because the sensory thresholds of the left and right hands are different. It is best to use a scale to weigh them.

4. A pomelo that is pointed on top and wide at the bottom tastes better. If the neck at the top is rather long, it shows there is little flesh and much skin. It is best to choose a pomelo with a short neck, a flat round shape, and a flat bottom.

5. A pomelo with lots of water tastes better. You can cut the pomelo open and check the water content of the flesh. If the pomelo flesh is rather dry, it will taste too hard and too astringent, lacking sweetness.

Appendix: Pomelo storage methods

1. A pomelo just bought and eaten right away may feel a bit low in water content. That is because it has not fully saccharified yet. Take off all the plastic bags wrapped around all the pomelos in your home, and after a week it will feel noticeably more watery when eaten;

2. Pomelos should best be stored in a ventilated place, and the temperature should not be too low; best above +10 degrees;

3. Pomelos are afraid of water, so it is best not to let them touch water, but what they fear most is alcohol. Never let alcohol touch a pomelo. Once the pomelo skin touches alcohol, it will quickly rot. Of course, the chance to drink alcohol and eat pomelo is also relatively rare.