Grapefruit
The grapefruit was discovered in the 17th Century and was known as
the shaddock or pomelo until the 1800s. Captain Shaddock, employed
by the East India Company, took grapefruit seeds with him to
Barbados.
The current name, grapefruit, alludes to clusters of the fruit
on the tree which look like clusters of grapes.
The grapefruit is one of the biggest of the citrus fruits. Two
varieties of grapefruit are most often found in stores: the pink
grapefruit and the white grapefruit. The skin is usually yellow and
sometimes pink in the case of pink grapefruit. The flesh varies
from pale yellow to dark pink.
Quality grapefruits are plump and heavy. They should be firm and
should bounce back to their original shape when pressed. The best
grapefruits have a thin skin which indicates that they hold more
juice than the spongier thicker-skinned fruit. Scars, spots and
uneven skin texture do not affect the quality of the
grapefruit.
- To maximize the flavour of the grapefruit, leave it out at room temperature several minutes before eating it.
- To reduce the bitterness of the grapefruit, remove the membrane that covers the fruit sacs with a knife.
- To facilitate paring directly to the flesh, remove some of the peel and place the grapefruit in the refrigerator. The cold temperature will cause the white pith to contract and harden thereby facilitating its removal.
- The most common way to eat a grapefruit is simply to cut the fruit in two halves and eat it with a spoon.
- The juice of grapefruit is very refreshing and is excellent when used to make vinaigrettes.
- The grapefruit?s slightly acid taste goes well with seafood and is an excellent complement to duck, chicken and pork dishes.
- Coat grapefruit slices with melted butter and brown sugar then caramelize them under the broiler.
 Grapefruit Upside-Down Cake |
 BBQ Quebec Milk-Fed Veal Rib Chop with Citrus and Olive Oil Sauce |
 Herbed Shrimp with Spicy Rio Star Grapefruit |
 Citrus Salsa |
 Citrus Bruschetta |
Grapefruits are available year-round in your METRO grocer's display, but in lesser quantities in July, August and September.
Choose a firm grapefruit that is heavy for its size, free of spots and soft areas.