Valentine Pumelo

[Millet]

Not long ago the University of California's Citrus Clonal Protection Program (CCPP) released the Valentine Pummelo to the public.  If I correctly remember, I think I got them from Harris Citrus.   Last Spring both trees fruited for the first time, and we ate the fruit for breakfast last January and into February.  On the advise of Housherquilt, I let them hang on the tree for a couple months after I believed they were mature to sweeten up.  The fruit is about the size of a soft ball with sweet dark red flesh.   If you love pummelos I urge you to purchase a Valentine tree, they are really, really, REALLY a great tree.. - Millet

[harveyc]

Thanks, I'm thinking of growing several.

I'm a bit curious as to what rootstock is most suitable for this pummelo hybrid.  I wrote to Tracey Kahn and asked for some input but didn't receive a reply yet.  Do you know what yours is grafted onto?

[fyliu]

I budded mine on trifoliate. But I waited over a year to plant it in the ground and it's only 4 ft tall and no fruit yet. I budded maybe 4 years ago.

Do post if Dr. Kahn responds.

[harveyc]

I see one nursery sells it on Carrizo.

[Millet]

Harvey, I don't recall what root stock my Valentine is growing on. - Millet

[Darkman]

I believe Harris uses a lot of Kuharske.

Millet thanks for bringing this up. I believe I will get one to replace one of my dead Orlando tangelos.

[Millet]

Darkman, you won't regret purchasing a Valentine Pummelo.  Great for breakfast.   Just be sure to let the fruit hang on the tree for a month or 6 weeks after the fruit turns yellow so it will attain the great taste. - Millet

[Tom]

Millet, I'm guessing a Pumelo left to hang as you suggest will taste much better than what I bought and did not like from a grocery store ? Tom

[Millet]

  I pick a Valentine that I thought was ready, and your right it was not all that good. I got the hint from Patty (hooserquilt) about delayed harvesting..  I left the rest of the fruit hang for another 4  to 6 weeks, the  difference was huge. The pulp was much reader, sweeter and the juice content increased. This same harvesting tip also goes for grapefruit. - Millet

[harveyc]

On April 12th some CRFG members got the chance to taste many different citrus from Lindcove including every pummelo that had fruit available.  A member drove down and he was allowed to pick fruit for the tasting.  He tried to get tasters to fill out a survey form but didn't get a very good response but he told me that so far Valentine was rated the lowest of any citrus!  I'm guessing it was way over-ripe?  This was surprising to hear and I'm curious as to what the problem was.

[Millet]

Harvey you stated that you are guessing a lower taste rating of the Valentine Pummelo was due to being over ripe, did you actually mean under ripe?  My test show leaving the Valentine Pummelo hang a while longer greatly improved the taste. This is certainly true for grapefruit also.- Millet

[harveyc]

No, I meant over-ripe.  The target harvest date for this variety is Saint Valentine's Day.  We have had some warm weather during the late winter and early spring so I would think the fruit was well past prime ripeness.  The person who picked up the fruit also said he guessed that was the case.

[Darkman]

A little searching is showing me that I may not find Valentine in Florida.

[hoosierquilt]

Glad you enjoyed your Valentine, Millet!  Harvey, don't know what to say, I'm still picking mine, and they are fantastic.  You can actually identify all 3 genetic parents in this fruit - the pummelo, the mandarin and the blood orange.  They are just fabulous, especially for those who like the flavor of grapefruits, but not so much the bitter aftertaste (I would be included as one of those people.)  I don't find that they taste over-ripe or off tasting at all, and mine are much better on the tree another 3 to 6 weeks.  But then, it doesn't get super hot here, either.  It's possible Lindcove gets hotter than I do, only being about 7 miles from the coast.  Love this tree.  They grow well on either Carizzo/Troyer or on C35, I have them on both in my yard.

[harveyc]

Thanks, Patty.  I'd guess that Lindcove had some 90 degree days before the fruit was picked.  We had upper 80s here in the lower Sacramento Valley.

[RyanL]

As an owner of the Valentine variety, What Millet & Hoosier say is correct for me too, not mature by valentines day. I found it to be watery and lacking flavor but by about April they are delicious and very dark red, Very seedy, which is a bit of a drawback but because they are all in the center around the core and there is sooo much fruit volume, not that big of a deal. I am growing it in a greenhouse. A very vigorous & beautiful tree by the way!

[Igor]

Such a pity this variety isn't available in Europe...

[Millet]

Igor, remember - good things come to those that wait. - Millet

[Igor]

You're right!

[harveyc]

Just so that my position is clear, I fully expect this to be a very nice-tasting variety.

I don't believe a comparison can be made of growing conditions at Patty's, Bob's, and Ryan's to that at Lindcove which receives a lot more heat.  Especially this year when things warmed up by February.

How do you typically eat a Valentine?  I have tried two methods with Oro Blanco and am not sure which I prefer.  I will sometimes cut in half and then, over the sink, scrape out the seeds with a grapefruit spoon and then scoop out the remaining sections with the spoon.  I have also sometimes peeled the entire fruit and then peeled the skin off the sections, bite out the seeds and spit them out, and then eat the rest of the fruit.

Are the skins/membranes of the Valentine sections typically consumed or not?

[Millet]

Harvey I eat Valentine just like I do a grapefruit.  I cut in half. Then I take a perry knife and cut along the edges of each section so that I can easily remove each section with a spoon. I usually eat them for beakfast. - Millet

[hoosierquilt]

I eat mine a little differently. I cut them in half, then in quarters.  I scrape out the seeds, then eat them like an orange.  Sometimes I"ll peel them, quarter them, de-seed them, then eat the peeled quarters.

Patty S.

[harveyc]

Thanks, Bob and Patty.  Patty, so you eat the skins of the sections then, right?  The skin on Oro Blanco is too tough for me to want to eat it.

[Yorgos]

Just so that my position is clear, I fully expect this to be a very nice-tasting variety.

I don't believe a comparison can be made of growing conditions at Patty's, Bob's, and Ryan's to that at Lindcove which receives a lot more heat.  Especially this year when things warmed up by February.

How do you typically eat a Valentine?  I have tried two methods with Oro Blanco and am not sure which I prefer.  I will sometimes cut in half and then, over the sink, scrape out the seeds with a grapefruit spoon and then scoop out the remaining sections with the spoon.  I have also sometimes peeled the entire fruit and then peeled the skin off the sections, bite out the seeds and spit them out, and then eat the rest of the fruit.

Are the skins/membranes of the Valentine sections typically consumed or not?

Was perusing the back ages and found this.  Hope it isn't a stale subject: I supreme my larger citrus. I'll do three or four grapefruits at a time and put the supremed sections in the fridge.  Love Ruby Red done this way.  I haven't tried this on pommelo since I have only had dry useless crops of chandler.  My wife appreciates this approach to consuming grapefruit. As for the smaller citrus, I just quarter and eat them.

[brian]

I know this is an old thread, but how does Valentine compare to Chandler?  I think I only have room for one.