How to Tell When A Grapefruit is Ripe, Plus a Delicious Fall Recipe

As grapefruit season is fast approaching, learning how to choose the best Texas red at your grocery store can produce some rewarding, sweet segmentz.

It’s good to know how to pick those that are ripe so you can get the best taste out of our low-calorie and highly beneficial fruit.

 At Winter Sweetz, we have a couple of tips to help you pick out these healthy citrus fruits that offer high levels of vitamin C, potassium, and fiber and promote a healthy heart and immune system. Let’s make sure you pick out the best ones this upcoming season. 

3 Steps to Choosing a Ripe Grapefruit: Color, Shape, and Texture

 There are three main ways to figure out if your grapefruit will be sweet, juicy and ready to enjoy. First, take a look at the color throughout the fruit.

Note that while there are different types of grapefruits that vary in skin and pulp color, an easy way to figure out how ripe your grapefruit is before cutting into it, is to look at the peel color. Our orchards are only harvested once they have passed a USDA inspection that requires a minimum brix (sugar content). Sometimes, that means that there may still be a little green in the peel. Within a few days, that green will turn to gold, and you’ll begin to see a red blush develop. No magic tricks are necessary- just leave them on your counter and watch them transform. Long story short, if the fruit has some green patches, it may be perfectly tasty inside; however, the redder the peel, the sweeter the fruit.

The second thing to look for is shape and weight. Grapefruits should have a slight oval shape with a slightly flat top and bottom. This is an indicator of ripeness. Grapefruit that feels heavy for its size is juicy and ready to enjoy.

 The last thing to look for regarding that perfect grapefruit is texture. A ripe grapefruit should feel plump and a bit heavier than it looks. Bumps and pores on the fruit are always apparent, but the skin on a ripe grapefruit is pretty thin and smooth. On the contrary, if you notice that some areas of the fruit feel much softer than other parts then it is likely overripe.

Making Great Use of Those Freshly Picked Texas Reds

Once you have selected that perfect Winter Sweetz Texas red grapefruit, the possibilities are endless. You can incorporate them in both sweet and savory dishes, much like the delicious recipe we have down below that will have you seeing grapefruit in a whole new way.

Enjoy!

 Soy Sauce and Grapefruit Marinated Chicken: 

• 4 crushed garlic cloves
• 1 crushed piece of (2-in) ginger
• Kosher salt
• 1 cup of fresh Winter Sweetz Texas red grapefruit juice
• ½ cut of soy sauce
• ⅓  cup of distilled white vinegar
• ¼ cup of sugar
• 1 (3-4 lb) chicken, halved with backbone removed

 Delicious Dipping Sauce: 

• 1 lemongrass stalk (with top third removed)
• 2 shallots, halved
• 2 scallions
• 1 small Fresno chili pepper (1-2 in)
• 4 unpeeled garlic cloves
• 1 small piece of ginger (1 in), peeled and finely chopped
• 2 tbsp. of fish sauce
• 2 tbsp. of lime juice
• 1 pomelo
• 1 tsp. of sugar
• 2 tbsp. chopped cilantro

Preparation:

1. Combine the ginger, garlic, soy sauce, grapefruit juice, vinegar, and sugar into a medium sized bowl and mix.
2. Place the chicken halves in a large Ziploc bag, pour in the fresh marinade, and seal the bag. Make sure to press out the bag to make sure you get out most of the air. Chill in the fridge between 12-48 hours.
3. Place oven rack on top third of oven and preheat to 425 F.
4. Take out chicken from the bag and discard the remaining marinade. Pat the chicken dry.
5. Lightly season with salt.
6. Begin roasting the chicken on a baking sheet (preferably foil-lined) for about 30-40 mins until the chicken is fully cooked and has a deep brown color.
7. While the chicken is baking, take inventory of all of the dipping sauce ingredients. Start by lightly smashing the lemongrass to activate it, and boil it in ½ a cup of water. Then remove it from the heat and let steep for 8 to 10 minutes.
8. Strain the liquid into a large measuring glass, and heat up an iron skillet over medium-high.
9. Toss in the garlic (with their firm skin), shallots, scallions, and the Fresno chili pepper into the skillet and toast the spices for a few minutes. Then remove from the heat. Take off the skins from the garlic, and chop all the ingredients up.
10. Add the chopped ingredients with into the lemongrass liquid, and stir in the lime juice, fish sauce, and sugar.
11. Take the pomelo, remove the skin and pith, and take out the segments. Crush them over a medium bowl to collect the juice, and mix it all into the lemongrass mixture.
12. Plate and top with fresh cilantro, then serve.

Yield: 4

Take full advantage of the upcoming fall season with our Texas red grapefruit.

A fresh, new grapefruit season is coming and with it comes a bevy of fantastic ideas on how to incorporate our delectable Winter Sweetz segmentz into your family meals.

If your grocery store is missing out on our grapefruit revolution, have them contact us at (956) 424-7775 to get these sweet treats in stock today.