This Peeling Trick Makes Pomelo Easy To Peel

A pomelo, or suha, really does look like a giant grapefruit. It even tastes like one, albeit a little sweeter if you’re lucky.

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While it’s a fantastic fruit that is enjoyable to eat on its own or added to salads and other dishes, it’s sheer size is intimidating to many. Most are likely to grab an already peeled suha than a whole one that they can prepare on their own. It’s a smart idea for those who will immediately want to eat it up, but if you’re going to eat it for later, learning how to peel a whole one is the better, smarter idea. That’s because the rind helps keep the fruit from turning rancid before you’re ready to eat it. It travels better in its whole state, too.  

Peeling off the thick rind of this hefty fruit can be a daunting task, but we have a nifty little trick that you may want to use when you find yourself with one of these giant citrus fruits and it’s still got its peel. 

Here’s what you do: 

1 Cut into the rind.  

Place the unpeeled suha on a cutting board with the stem side up. Place your hand flat on the top and using a sharp paring knife angled horizontally and a little downwards, slice through the rind just enough to cut through it towards the flesh. (You can make a shallow slice through the rind if desired for now.) While the knife is still embedded in the rind, slowly turn the pomelo while slowly continuing the slice into a spiral going downwards.  

Make a spiral slice like this on top of the pomelo so it’s easier to peel.

Photo by David Hanson

2 Make a continuous slice.  

Continue turning the pomelo and continuing the slice until you reach the bottom of the pomelo. Remove the knife and set it aside. 

3 Start peeling the rind off. 

Starting at the top, press your thumb into the first spiral cut you made on the suha’s top and peel back the rind together with the pith at the top. (You may have to pull a little hard to get the top off.) Start to peel the rind away from the fruit’s flesh until the rind is completely removed.   

Run your thumb under the rind to begin peeling the pomelo.

Photo by David Hanson

4 Break it open and separate the segments. 

Remove any pith that is still left on the suha’s outer peel to reveal the edible fruit inside. Hold onto the suha with your fingers facing downward and your thumbs towards the center at the top of the suha. Press your thumbs into the center crevice where the stem would be, then break open the suha.

You can now start separating the citrus segments and then removing the citrus’s paper-like covering from the pulpy segments. 

That’s it. Once you’ve removed all the edible segments, enjoy as is or use in a recipe. Toss the suha chunks with some salad greens or squeeze the juice and mix into a refreshing cooler for when the summer sun begins to heat up the day. 

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