From the Branch to the Shelves: How Does Winter Sweetz Grapefruit Get to the Store?
As much as you might wish they did, grocery store shelves don’t magically fill themselves. There’s a process to getting fruit like grapefruit to the produce bins, and it all starts with the grapefruit growers.
Read on to learn how the best and tastiest Texas Rio Red grapefruit makes it from the orchard to your shelves. After all, if customers want to try the mouth-watering taste of red grapefruit, it has to get from the tree to their table!
Step One: Growing, Harvesting, and Cleaning Texas Rio Red Grapefruit
A grapefruit tree takes about six years before it’ll start to bear fruit. During that time, grapefruit growers will supply the tree with the suitable soil and water needed to grow delicious grapefruit.
When the tree is ready for harvesting, some grapefruit growers use the clean-tree harvesting method to pluck all the grapefruit at once. Other harvesters may use ring-size picking and only harvest the grapefruit that has grown to the right size.
After harvesting, the grapefruit will be cleaned to remove any dust, dirt, or contaminants to make sure the Texas Rio Red grapefruit stays fresh even after it reaches the store.
Step Two: Grapefruit Growers Sort and Store the Fresh Grapefruit
After harvest, grapefruit are sorted. Sorters check for any blemishes and make sure each grapefruit meets the requirements for skin and color.
The next part is storing the grapefruit. Grapefruit needs to be kept in dry boxes to prevent mold and bacteria from settling on the fruit. And to further maximize shelf life and avoid spoilage, the boxes are stored between 50 to 60 degrees.
Step Three: Transport and Deliver Texas Rio Red Grapefruit
Once an order has been placed and it’s time for shipment, grapefruit suppliers begin preparing the grapefruit boxes for transportation. Boxes are usually stacked on pallets and then loaded in a truck for delivery.
Following the standards for storing, the storage units on the trucks are kept clean and at the right temperature so that the grapefruit stays fresh all the way to the store.
Step Four: Displaying Texas Rio Red Grapefruit in Store
Now that the grapefruit has arrived at the store, it’s recommended that it be displayed—and extras stored—in cool and dry places away from mist. While Texas Rio Red grapefruits don’t usually last long in stores before customers snatch them up, grapefruits still need to be displayed following the first-in-first-out (FIFO) rules to maintain peak freshness.
Get the Best Grapefruit for Your Store From Your Texas Grapefruit Growers at Winter Sweetz!
Grapefruits are an amazing, sweet, juicy, and mouth-watering fruit! While there’s a lot of work getting Texas Rio Red grapefruit from the tree to the store, it’s all worth it for your customers to get a taste of it.
We may not be in charge of the grapefruit display on grocery store shelves, but Winter Sweetz takes care of the rest, from watering the tree to shipping Texas Rio Red grapefruit right to the store. Change the way your customers shop by giving them a taste of the best red grapefruit they’ve ever had.