Why Is Grapefruit Bitter? 3 Possible Reasons
Grapefruits come in many types, and the flavors of the fruit vary depending on when and how it was grown, picked, and eaten. Grapefruit can be tangy, sweet, or tart, but despite this, many people think that all grapefruits taste bitter, which is simply not true!
If you bit into a juicy segment looking for a sweet treat and got a mouth full of tart, don’t give up on grapefruit! It could be that you’ve simply picked the wrong type. If you’re looking for juicy, sweet, perfectly ripe grapefruit, Texas Rio Red grapefruits from Winter Sweetz are definitely the way to go!
1. Why You and Not Others? It Could Be Genetics!
According to Forbes, we might understand bitterness the least out of all the tastes we experience. What we find bitter sometimes differs from person to person, with bitter taste receptors varying widely.
Different humans perceive bitterness differently. For instance, some people find coffee bitter, while others find alcohol bitter. Grapefruits are just the same: some people just find grapefruit bitter. The differences arise from the way our genes code our taste receptors, so our varying perception in what we find bitter is actually caused by our genetics!
For those worried that their genetics have doomed them to a life full of bitter grapefruit, all hope is not lost! Read on to discover other factors that could be making the grapefruit you’re eating taste bitter.
2. Don’t Forget to Check the Season
One thing that could be causing that bitter taste could be the season. If your grapefruit was harvested too soon and sold to you during July, August, and September, it may not have had enough time to ripen. The chemical compound typically blamed for grapefruit bitterness is naringenin, and unripe fruits have more of this bitter compound than riper fruit. That particular chemical compound can cause you to taste bitterness.
The riper the fruit, the sweeter the fruit is, and that perfect ripeness is based on when the fruit is picked. This is why Winter Sweetz Rio Red grapefruits are so delicious and juicy! Our fruits reach perfect ripeness between November on through March, making them the best sweet treat for the holidays.
3. Bitter Grapefruit? Whoops, Wrong Type!
Grapefruit come in many different varieties, but they can be broadly separated by color: pink, white, and red. Color variety is one of the biggest factors influencing grapefruit bitterness.
White grapefruits are yellow-skinned and large, but they tend to be more on the tart side. Pink grapefruits are pink-skinned and very closely related to white grapefruit, so they also tend to have a more bitter taste.
If you’re looking for the sweetest varieties of grapefruits, choose from the red. The majority of these different kinds of grapefruit grow outside of the Lone Star State, where the Ruby Red grapefruit was made famous. Ruby Reds are yellow with a pronounced blush, but you can always tell a Ruby Red by the beautiful scarlet inside. While it is generally sweeter than the rest, Ruby Reds can’t hold a candle to our Rio Reds.
Bonus Tip: Grapefruit Taste Bitter? Try Salt!
For more than a century, grapefruit and salt have been a popular pairing in the South, and for good reason! Studies have shown that salt can help enhance other tastes, like bitter and sweet, but that it enhances sweetness the most. For those looking for a sweet grapefruit, salt may be the secret weapon you need!
If a salty fruit doesn’t sound appetizing, don’t worry: there are plenty of other options. There are tons of ways to use grapefruit in tasty recipes, from simple drizzled honey and yogurt bowls to full-on entrees. With a light sprinkle of brown sugar, you can make the perfect broiled grapefruit, or combine grapefruit with other citrus fruits for a delicious fruit salad. No matter how you mix it, you’re sure to love recipes made with fresh grapefruit and grapefruit juice.
Looking for a Sweet Grapefruit? Try Texas Rio Red Grapefruit
When you’re looking for a sweet grapefruit, picking one that is fully ripe is very important. However, the first step is choosing the right type of grapefruit.
Texas Rio Red grapefruits are widely renowned for their sweetness, especially in comparison to white and pink grapefruit varieties. If you want a sweet grapefruit, pick Winter Sweetz Rio Reds available now!