A Grapefruit Love Affair (For The Most Part)

I’m way late to the grapefruit game; I always thought they were too sour and bitter and only a diet-food and just, bleh. That was before I had a perfect, in season one (grapefruits are best from January to April, so, right now). They’re super sweet and juicy and only a little tart. Much more my style.

Lots of reasons to eat this citrusy fruit right now, like, it’s about damn time apples aren’t the only fruit in season. Beyond that, grapefruit is loaded with vitamin C which helps your immune system keep you from getting sick. There’s also lots of fiber, Vitamin A, and tons of phytonutrients and antioxidants. Grapefruits are fairly low cal for their size; 1/2 of a medium one has 60 cals.

There are a bunch of colors and varieties, but let’s talk red cuz I like those best. I’m sure you remember that the red color means the fruit has a specific antioxidant – the same one found in tomatoes and watermelon – called lycopene. Grapefruit has shown promise in lowering cholesterol and in some weight loss, preventing kidney stones. (There are several drugs that interact with grapefruit including lipitor, valium and zoloft and many other common ones, so look into it if you take any meds).

First let’s talk picking em, because there’s a trick. I wrote about my fave foodie apps at Foodtrainers a while ago, and one called Harvest is the SHIZZLE (haven’t used that word in a while, feels good). Harvest tells you everything you need about how to pick produce.

Everything I thought about grapefruit shopping, which is almost as fun as clothing shopping, is wrong. Like, skin color doesn’t mean a damn thing re: ripeness. Who knew? Instead it’s all about weight, spring and smoothness.

Back home is where my grapefruit issues start. I dont own a grapefruit spoon so I’ll assume you don’t either.

Things get messy when it’s time to eat.

You peel by hand and take a bite and EW! Anything left of that white, impossible to remove layer of skin is super bitter. It almost ruins the whole grapefruit experience.  Apparently it’s great for you, but I wouldnt recommend it. Then you have the other layer between each grapefruit section. Less bitter, still a pain in the butt.

So over at The Yummy Life I found an amazing picture guide of how to cut a grapefruit. Needless to say, it’s drastically improved my grapefruit eating experience. It’s the little things, peeps.

If you want actual written directions check them out here.

TA DA!! bye bye bitter “membrane”, hello juicy perfect grapefruit. Eat it on it’s own or  make a grapefruit mojito. This grapefruit and avocado salad with basil also looks bangin.

Another wintery salad: Kale Salad with Grapefruit and Pomegranate seeds. If you want something simple, sweet and warm, my fave is broiled grapefruit topped with a little brown sugar.

Are you a grapefruit junkie? Are you a peeler, cutter, or legit grapefruit spoon owner? Any good recipes? Favorite winter fruit?