The Riverside Press-Enterprise
All about the grapefruits, pomelos and other citrus
I recently returned from Israel, where I assisted harvesting this winter’s citrus crop in the kibbutz and moshav (farmers cooperative) communities that border the Gaza Strip. Prior to Oct. 7, workers from Gaza and Thailand had been employed in these communities, but since then, except for a few remaining Thais, the harvesting is now largely being done by volunteers who have come from all over the world to pick clementines, oranges, grapefruits, pomelos and pomelitos. In one of the communities where I worked, there was a pomelito orchard. Pomelitos — a cross between a pomelo and a grapefruit — are juicier than pomelos and intermediate in taste between a pomelo and a grapefruit: sweeter than the former and less acidic than the latter.
The parent pomelo (Citrus maxima) is the largest of all citrus fruits. It looks like a giant grapefruit, growing up to 1 foot wide and 7 pounds. It is one of the four tropical, Southeast Asian, ancestral citrus species, together with the citron (ancestor of the lemon), mandarin (ancestor of the orange and every other citrus fruit that’s orange in color) and pepeda (ancestor of the lime). Every citrus fruit traces its origin to the hybridization of these parental types. The common sweet orange (Citrus sinensis), for example, is approximately 58% mandarin and 42% pomelo.
The botanical name for a grapefruit tree is Citrus x paradisii. The x which separates the genus (Citrus) and species (paradisii) in any botanical name means the plant is a hybrid. A grapefruit, so-called because its fruits hang in clusters like grapes, is a hybrid between the pomelo and the sweet orange.
The grapefruit was created in the Caribbean, although its parents both came from the other side of the globe. Orange seeds from China and pomelo seeds from Indonesia were brought to the island
of Barbados, in the southeastern Caribbean not far from South America’s shores. The trees that sprouted from these seeds cross-pollinated, and the fruits that developed on one of the trees were grapefruits. In 1750, “forbidden fruit” was the name that was first given to it. George Washington, who visited Barbados that same year, recorded in his journal that “the forbidden fruit” was offered to him one evening when he was dining out.
There is both contradiction and irony in grapefruit being named forbidden fruit. First of all, since it was a hybrid created with the help of human efforts, the grapefruit tree could hardly have been the tree upon which forbidden fruit grew in the Garden of Eden, which Adam and Eve occupied for less than one day. Yet, as modern pharmacology has demonstrated, grapefruit is a forbidden fruit for many people on account of its toxic interaction with a wide variety of medications. Grapefruit contains chemicals that block the enzyme that metabolizes many drugs, so these drugs quickly build up in a concentrated and toxic form. Many psychotropic drugs, including certain tranquilizers and antidepressants, as well as some blood pressure stabilizers, sleeping pills and HIV and ADHD medications, should not be taken with grapefruit juice. If you eat grapefruit, consult your doctor regarding
possible interaction before taking any medication for the first time. Even a wake-me-up cup of coffee will have a stronger impact when drunk after imbibing a glass of grapefruit juice, since the biochemicals in the juice prevent caffeine from breaking down, so it maintains its punch.
Getting back to the pomelito, the American version is known as Oro Blanco, typically referred to as a grapefruit — since it resembles one in size and color — despite its hybrid status as a cross between pomelo and grapefruit. The hybridization that created Oro Blanco was made in 1958 at UC Riverside, and the fruit was released commercially in 1980. Although it is rare to see Oro Blancos at the grocery store, you can find sources for the trees here and there. Garden View Nursery (garden-view.com) in Irwindale grows Oro Blanco trees, and if anyone knows of other sources, please advise.
••• When working in the garden, putting stress on your back is all too common. Yet by adhering to one cardinal rule, garden back strain can be avoided: Keep your back straight and remember not to bend at the waist. Planting of seeds, ground covers and annual flowers, as well as vegetable and strawberry harvesting and weed pulling, should be done on your knees. Knee pads are part of every serious gardener’s wardrobe.
Hoeing, raking and shoveling should also be done with a straight back. What this means is that whatever is being hoed, raked or shoveled should be close to the trunk of your body. When you stretch out to rake leaves or put your shovel into a pile of mulch that is more than a few inches from your center of gravity, you are putting stress on your back. When you put your shovel into the ground to dig a hole, you should be in an uncompromisingly vertical position; your foot should go straight down on the back of the shovel blade.
Always lift with a straight back. If the object to be moved is heavy, ask for assistance. Before lifting, bring the object as close as possible to your body and tighten your stomach muscles without holding your breath. Lift with your legs.
When putting objects or shoveling into a wheelbarrow, avoid bending down. Squat and bend your knees but not your back. Put the wheelbarrow as close as possible to whatever is being lifted or shoveled into it. Distribute loads evenly in the wheelbarrow bed. When pushing a wheelbarrow or lawn mower, do so with a straight back and arms close to your sides.