Ring in the New Rio Red Grapefruit Season By Satisfying That Sweet Tooth!

We’re weeks away from kicking off this new season here at Winter Sweetz, and even though our delicious Texas red grapefruit will narrowly miss Halloween, that doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy sweet, succulent grapefruit soon after.

The following three recipes should inspire you to create festive, sweet snacks to share with you and your loved ones this fall season.

1. Festive Grapefruit Pumpkin Snacks

If you want to avoid overindulging in sugar without missing out on the sweetness this fall, try cutting back on sugar in other areas of your diet. For example, these festive little “pumpkins” make the perfect snack or light breakfast while packing a big nutritious punch!

Ingredients You’ll Need:

• 5 Texas Rio Red grapefruit
• 1 orange peeler
• 5 or more celery stalks with leaves

Constructing the Pumpkins:

1. Peel the grapefruit before using the peeler, your fingers, or a small knife to remove as much of the pith as possible.
2. Wash and dry the celery before slicing into stalks.
3. Cut 1 to 2 inch narrow “stems” for your “pumpkins” from the tops of the celery stalks.
4. Insert the “stems” into the tops of your grapefruit “pumpkins”. Add celery leaves to complete the treat.

Serves: 5

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

2. Candied Grapefruit Peel

Many delicious snacks can satisfy your sweet tooth without wrecking your diet, and Winter Sweetz is one of them! This year maintaining a healthy diet is more important than ever, and vitamin C is an essential part of that diet.

These chewy candied grapefruit peels are full of nutrients— and they’re tasty! Keep in mind, this recipe is a bit more challenging, so you may not want to pick this treat if you’re not relatively comfortable in the kitchen.

Gather These Ingredients:

• 2 Texas Rio Red grapefruit
• 1 cup sugar, more for dusting

Candying the Peels:

1. Cut the peels away from the grapefruit in ¼ inch thick pieces, and cut those peels into ⅜ inch strips. They should be roughly the thickness of a gummy worm.
2. In a small saucepan, add the peels and fill to cover in cold water.
3. Bring the cold water and peels to a boil and drain. Repeat the boil-and-drain process twice more.
4. In the same saucepan, add 1 cup of sugar, the peels, and ½ cup of water, then bring to a boil.
5. Reduce heat and allow the peels to simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until translucent. Drain.
6. Transfer the peels to a wire rack to dry for 2 to 4 hours, and then toss the dried peels in more sugar!

 

Serves: Yields roughly 2 cups

Preparation Time: 3 to 5 hours

3. A Refreshing Fruit Punch!

With a combination of lychee syrup, grapefruit juice, and sour cherry juice, this punch is as tart as it is delicious! For our grapefruit enthusiasts with a bit more of a sweet tooth, try using ginger ale in this next recipe instead of sparkling water, and if you’re looking for more of an adult beverage for a Sunday evening, add your preference of vodka or light rum to the mix.

Here’s What You’ll Need:

• 1 cup freshly squeezed Texas red grapefruit juice
• 2 15oz. cans of lychees
• 6 oz. container of blackberries
• 4 cups tart cherry juice
• 3 12 oz. cans of sparkling water, chilled (substitute ginger ale for a bit more sweetness)
• Optional: 1 ½ cups of vodka or light rum

Making Your Punch:

1. Drain the cans of lychee, setting aside 1 ½ cup of syrup and at least 12 lychees.
2. Stick one blackberry into the center of each lychee. Of course, this is more for presentation. You don’t have to do this step if you don’t want to.
3. In a large pitcher, stir together cherry juice, red grapefruit juice, and the reserved syrup, then chill.
4. When you’re ready to serve, stir in the fruit, optional alcohol, and sparkling water. If you prefer, you can also pour the drinks and add the fruit in afterward and individually.
5. For a garnish, stick one or two of the fruit arrangements onto a toothpick, and place the pick in or on the rim of the glass.

The Texas Rio Red grapefruit season is about to start! Ask your favorite grocer today about stocking Winter Sweetz delicious Texas red grapefruit today — if they don’t already!

Have Your Grocer Contact Us

Order Here Come November 1st!