When Are Pummelos In Season? - Food Wine Sunshine

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Last Updated on September 21, 2025 by Tracy

Discover Florida Starburst Pummelos! Learn what pummelos are, when they’re in season, how they taste, and the best ways to enjoy this sweet citrus. Learn more on when pummelos are in season and how to enjoy them. While this post is sponsored by Noble Citrus, all opinions and my love of Florida agriculture and pummelos are my own.

What Are Pummelos and When Are They In Season?

Living in Florida I have access to the most incredible fruits and vegetables. I may be biased, but in my opinion the best produce comes from Florida. What’s better than getting your fresh fruits and vegetables from the grocery store or farmer’s market knowing that it traveled a minimum distance to get to you and your family? Fresh from Florida to your family. Yes please.

So, what produce do you first think of when you think of Florida? Oranges? Citrus? Yes, years ago Florida was filled with citrus groves. Citrus was easy to grow here in Florida due to our climate, but as we all know, things don’t stay easy forever. Pests were soon discovered eating the leaves, destroying citrus crops. Growing citrus was no longer something that was considered “easy”, it’s a full time job. More than a full time job. Those farmers that bring us Florida citrus don’t work 40 hour weeks, they work all day, every day. And they do that because they want us to have the best produce possible. Why? Why do these men and women, farmers, do this for us? Why do farmers do this for people they don’t even know?

Because being a farmer is a passion.

Being a farmer is a lifestyle.

Many farmers believe that they were called to do what they do.

Florida farmers truly care about YOUR family. Yes, even though you may have never met one. They care about you and what you eat. Because what you eat is what they give their families.

From their Florida farm to you.

So, how do you know if the produce you are grabbing in the grocery store is from Florida? Or even the United States? When it comes to Florida citrus like Starburst Pummelos, the best way is to check the label. I know that sounds simple, but I will openly admit that there was a time that when I went to the store and grabbed fresh fruits or vegetables I just “assumed” that it was from the United States. Well, I’m not sure if you were taught what “assume” means from your parents, but in this situation, my parents were right. And I was wrong.

Just because your produce is sitting in your local grocer, it doesn’t mean that it’s local, or even from our country.

What does that mean to you?

That means if you aren’t buying local, you are buying produce that has traveled who knows how far on a truck or a boat or a truck and a boat to get you. Would you rather eat something that was picked from the tree yesterday or three weeks ago? I pick fresh my friends! Fresh! I may not have a green thumb and the only thing I am successful at growing in my garden is eggplant, so I look for LOCAL, IN SEASON produce in stores and at the farmer’s market. Be sure to do the same. Not sure if it’s local or from the US? ASK!

I know it’s impossible to eat what’s in season locally everyday, so if you really want strawberries and they aren’t in season here in Florida yet, just look at the label and make sure they are from the USA.

Ok, so did you all bear with me on my love of farmers? Thank you if you did. I appreciate you. So do the farmers 😉

Now, onto the pummelo, which I promised to tell you about given the title of the blog post, huh? What did all my information about Florida farmers and citrus have to do with pummelos?

Well, the best pummelos are grown in….you guessed it….FLORIDA. But thankfully, for you all, you can find them throughout the country starting in October.

Wait, what is a pummelo?

Don’t worry, you’re not the first person to ask that question. In fact, I asked it myself not too long ago. Sometimes called a pomelo, the pummelo is the largest citrus fruit and is grown right here in Florida. A pummelo is actually the ancient ancestor of the grapefruit and can be as large as a cantaloupe—or even close to the size of a small watermelon. Inside, you’ll find thick rind and soft, juicy flesh that ranges from pale pink to a rich rose color.

So what’s the difference between pomelo vs pummelo?

• Pomelo (single “m”) usually refers to the varieties that are native to Asia, such as China, Thailand, and Malaysia. These pomelos are often a bit less sweet, and because they’ve traveled thousands of miles to get to U.S. grocery stores, they may not be as fresh.
• Pummelo (double “m”) is the preferred spelling for U.S.-grown fruit, especially here in Florida. Florida Starburst Pummelos are hand-picked, super juicy, low in acidity, and naturally sweet.

So, what is a pummelo?

Well, the actual definition is that a pummelo is a large citrus fruit that is an ancestor of the common grapefruit. A pummelo is the largest of the citrus fruits and can range from the size of a cantaloupe to a size of a small watermelon. They have a very thick, soft rind and the skin is green to yellow. Once opened, the inside of a pummelo (the flesh) is pink to rose.

How would I describe a pummelo?

A large fruit that smells like a grapefruit, but tastes sweeter than a grapefruit. It is super juicy and is low in acid. You don’t need to cover a pummelo in sugar to enjoy it 😉 Nothing against grapefruit, it’s just not my favorite fruit. But the pummelo, I can definitely eat for a snack or for breakfast. In fact, I did right at the Noble Citrus groves! Remember when I went to Noble Citrus a few months ago to learn about Juicy Crunch? Well, I also got to learn about pummelos…and taste one right off the tree thanks to the owner, Quentin Roe. There is nothing quite like eating fruit hand-picked from the tree. And all the pummelos from Noble Citrus are hand-picked! YES! Hand picked! By hand-picking the incredible Starburst Pummelos from Noble Citrus they are ensuring us that we are getting only perfectly ripe Starburst Pummelos.

What Makes Florida Starburst Pummelos Special?

Yes, these just aren’t any pummelo, these are Starburst Pummelos! When you cut into them you see a beautiful STARBURST. If you’re wondering what a Florida pummelo tastes like, Starburst Pummelos are known for their sweet flavor and low acidity.

Look for that sticker.

Only Starburst Pummelos from Noble Citrus here in Florida will have that sticker. When you see that sticker you know you are getting the best.

You may have heard of a pomelo, that variety typically comes from Asia…it is good…but it’s not from Florida and it’s not nearly as sweet and delicious. And it traveled from Asia to get to you. Not Florida. Not local. Not from the USA. So, look for that sticker. The STARBURST STICKER.

I looked up the food miles from China to the United States, it’s almost 7,000 miles! And who knows how many weeks it takes to get that “fresh” produce to you. Did you know that fresh fruits and vegetables actually start to lose their nutrients after a certain period of time? So, when you are purchasing produce from overseas, you are not only unsure about the food safety of those items, but I can promise you that they aren’t as fresh as if you were buying from farms here in the United States.

And when are purchase items from another country, you are not supporting the food supply here in the United States. To ensure that we have fresh fruit and vegetables here in OUR country, you have to buy fresh fruits and vegetables from OUR country. Farmers will continue to supply us food, but we have to buy it. So, again, I encourage you to look at those labels. Look for products from the United States. When purchasing your pummelos this season, look for that STARBURST sticker so that you know that it came from the United States.

That STARBURST sticker means that they have come from Noble Citrus. Noble Citrus has a Full Food Safety Program, in fact they are the only grower/packer in a Florida 5 Log Reduction Certified Facility. Noble Citrus also has an USDA Inspector onsite to make sure you are getting the quality that they promise. I know I mentioned that Starburst Pummelos are hand-picked at the peak of ripeness, but I wanted to tell you that they are also hand graded and hand packed after they are washed, sanitized and waxed. With care. There is no color added, you are getting the citrus that was pick and delivered to the store. And it didn’t take over 7,000 miles and weeks to get there 😉

When are Starburst Pummelos in season?

So glad you asked! Starburst Pummelos are available for a limited time at limited stores throughout the country. You will find then from Maine down the coast to here in Florida and even in Texas. Starting October 1st! MARK YOUR CALENDARS!!

Find Starburst Pummelos Near You

Yes, these very special Starburst Pummelos are a limited variety! But would you expect anything less? Something so good can’t be available all year long.

You can find Starburst Pummelos in store from late September to late January. And that’s it. So mark your calendars. Now. You don’t need Starburst Pummelo FOMO do you? No, you don’t. So I’ll say it again, mark your calendars with a STAR 😉 Starburst Pummelos are in season starting October 1st to late January. I will be getting mine at Publix.

Have you tried a Noble Citrus Starburst Pummelo before?

No? Now is the time then! Well, you have to wait until their in season, but you get my drift. Like I mentioned, they remind me of a grapefruit, but they aren’t as sour…in fact, I wouldn’t say they are sour at all. They have a high brix value, which means they are super sweet. They are also have very low seeds, if any. So cut one open and enjoy.

That’s what I am about to do 🙂

How to Eat a Pummelo

If you’ve never tried one before, you may wonder how to eat a pummelo. The rind is thick, but once peeled, the juicy segments are easy to enjoy as a snack, in salads, or even in cocktails.

10 Ways To Enjoy Pummelos

Learn more about Starbust Pummelos and Noble Citrus online and be sure to follow on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to stay up to date with all things Noble Citrus.

While you are at it, follow me too! In fact, check out all my recipes and follow along on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.

Did you know that all Florida citrus blooms in March, but all Florida citrus is ready to be picked at different times of the year? Fun Florida fact!

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