Bittersweet Pomelo Jam with Thyme
Pair a slice of toast with vegan butter and bittersweet herbed pomelo jam with your coffee this morning. This easy refrigerator jam is complex and bright, with all the citrusy goodness that is winter.
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What is a Pomelo?
You may have seen pomelos in the grocery store, and just assumed they were extra large grapefruits. They look very similar- large, sometimes larger than a softball, with green or yellow rinds. They are one of the original 5 citrus varieties (along with kumquats and mandarins). Every other citrus fruit is actually a cross between the original 5. For example, a pomelo + mandarin gives us a sweet orange. A second cross between a sweet orange and a pomelo gives us the grapefruit.
Pomelos have large, thick rinds, and have white, yellow, pink, or orange flesh in the middle. They are sweet, a little sour, and somewhat bitter in a truly delightful way. They do require a little more effort than many other citrus, in that you have to remove the massively thick rind, and then extract the fruit from the membranous casing. You can also cut them in half and use a grapefruit spoon to scoop out the flesh if you like and if you don’t need your pomelo to be in large pieces. This recipe would actually be a really great one for that extraction method. Pomelos are amazing in both sweet and savory dishes. They do have that bit of bitterness to them that comes out more with cooking, but hey, so does chocolate and no one complains. I think of it as a feature. Pomelos are most often grown and eaten in Thailand. Your best shot at finding them will be by looking at your local Asian grocery store during the winter months.
Got Citrus? Try one of these Vegan Citrus Recipes!
- Tempeh and Pomelo Salad with Avocado
- Vegan Lemon Scones with Lemon Turmeric Glaze
- Vegan Coconut Key Lime Fudge
- How to Make Preserved Kumquats
- Vegan Lime and Coconut Spicy Cashews
- Orange Chamomile Honeycomb Vegan Candy Recipe
- Vegan Kumquat Cake with Chocolate Ganache
- Pea Tendril Vegan Pasta Salad with Orange Dressing
- Vegan Lemon Pasta with Poppy Seeds
How to Make Pomelo Jam
This pomelo jam is super simple, so let’s get started. Since pomelos have plenty of pectin, we didn’t need to add any to this jam. We also used less sugar than your typical jam, simply because we sweetened it to taste. This recipe has not been tested for canning safety- since it makes such a small batch, we decided just to keep it as a refrigerator jam.
All you’re going to need is 3 large pomelos (that should give you about 5 cups of fruit), some sugar, dried thyme, and a pinch of salt. If you want to use fresh thyme, try doubling the amount you use.
First, process your pomelos. Peel of the thick rind, and discard (if you did want to make a marmalade instead of a jam, you could include some of the rind but make sure not to include the more bitter white parts). Remove all the white pith and membranes from around the fruit- it is thicker and more unpleasant to eat than on many other citrus fruits. I find a paring knife can help here. Transfer the sweet flesh into a pot, and try to capture any juice that comes out in the pot as well. After that, you just need to combine all the ingredients, heat, stir more or less constantly, until done. Easy! The best way to tell if you’re jam is ready is to wait until the mixture hits 220 degrees Fahrenheit. If you don’t have a good food thermometer, you can use the wrinkle test. And once that’s done, it’s time to let it cool and enjoy!
Bittersweet Pomelo Jam with Thyme
Ingredients
- 3 large pomelos
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 1 tsp. dried thyme
- Small pinch of salt
Instructions
- Peel the pomelos, and remove the fruit from the pith. Take your time here, and get as much of the white bits off the fruit as possible. No need to chop the fruit at all, it will break down as you cook it.
- Add the pomelo and sugar to a large saucepan, along with a quarter cup of water, and turn the heat on medium. Stir frequently as the fruit releases juice and the sugar melts. You can raise the heat once you have some liquid in the pan, and bring the jelly up to a boil. Continue boiling, stirring constantly, until the jelly reaches 220°F (105°C). Remove from the heat and let cool. Once it’s cooled down slightly, transfer to a jar with an airtight lid. Store in the fridge, and enjoy.
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