The grapefruit really should have been called a different name, since the name has no botanical relationship to grapes. The size of the fruit and the fact that it grew in bunches or in clusters like grapes, prompted a 19th century naturalist to make the new fruit's name to grapefruit.
Heres what it might have been called--
Captain Shaddock brought the seeds of the pummelo from the Malay Archipelago
to the West Indies in 1693. These seeds produced fruit smaller than the
current grapefruit today, which was more like an orange. Since he
found the grapefruit, it should be called a shaddock or a pummelo. The
shaddock is sometimes used interchangeably with the pummelo.
Some Cool History~
Though Captain Shaddock is given credit for starting the grapefruit
production, botanists and growers aren’t
sure whether he should be called the father or the uncle. Some say
the grapefruit is a cross between an
orange and the pummelo (or shaddock), while others believe that grapefruit
is a natural mutant
derived from the seeds Captain Shaddock brought to the West Indies.
It is really unsure if its a hybrid or not.
The pummelo grows wild in some regions of Malaysia and Indonesia, where
it is believed to have
originated. Also in the grapefruit family is the Ugli fruit, also marketed
as the Uniq. Ugli, a trademarked
name, is Jamaican in origin and appears to be a hybrid of the mandarin
(tangerine) and grapefruit.
By 1823, Odet Phillippe, a French Nobleman, had planted the first grapefruit
grove in the United
States near Tampa, Florida. By 1840 the popularity of grapefruit was
established. Within a few
decades, refrigeration made shipping less difficult and botanists had
developed a "seedless" grapefruit
(less than eight seeds per fruit). By 1890 grapefruit growing was a
major commercial venture in
Florida.
As Northern states began getting more regular shipments around the turn
of the century new varieties
were being developed, the seedy pink Foster in 1907, the seedless pink
Thompson in 1913, and the
Ruby seedless red in 1929.
Where is it Grown?
The United States is the major producer of grapefruit with 41% of the
world’s share. It’s also the
biggest grapefruit consumer. Florida grows about 75% of the U.S. grapefruit
crop in two areas of the
state, Central Florida and the Indian River. Texas is a distant second,
then comes California and
Arizona. The Indian River area of Florida is such a good spot because
it runs parallel to the Gulfstream
and the warm currents protect the groves from the killing frosts that
sometimes occur during Florida winters.
The Indian River Grapefruit Co. is famous!
Most of the imported grapefruit comes from the Bahamas.
Varieties~
Growers have consistently improved the flavor and sweetness of
grapefruit and have worked to reduce
the number of seeds. Most varieties found in the market today
are seedless. Each grapefruit tree
produces between 1300 to 1500 pounds of fruit annually. About
60% of the grapefruit commercial
crop today is processed into juice and segments.
The are two main grapefruit varieties, white and red. The white
Marsh or Marsh Seedless, a Florida
grapefruit which superseded the Duncan, has no seeds but is
less flavorful than the seedier Duncan.
(What little Duncan there is left is used for processing.) The
Redblush or Ruby Red is a red or pink
variety which was developed from the Marsh and is primarily
grown in Texas.
Marsh Seedless is also called white or golden because it has
a bright yellow skin and honey colored
meat that is firm and tart. Ruby Red or Red blush grapefruit
has yellow skin with a pronounced red
blush and flavorful, pink meat. The color of the meat can range
from very pale to deeper reddish
tones, depending on the time of year, variety and growing conditions.
In the past few years "super red" varieties such as the Star
Ruby and Rio Red have become more
popular. The Star Ruby has a yellow skin and a deeper red color
than the Ruby Red. The Rio Red
(also called Rio Star) is similar to the Star Ruby but has an
even deeper red interior color as well as a
red blush on the skin. Other red varieties are the Ruby Sweet
(also called a Henderson or Ray) which
is seedless with very dark red flesh, and the Flame .
Grapefruit quality depends largely on the time of year it is
harvested (see Seasons) and where the fruit
is grown. In general, Florida grapefruit is considered to have
superior quality because grapefruit
requires high heat for sweet flavor. (Though hot areas of California,
Texas and Arizona also produce
good fruit.) The Indian River Valley is one of the premier areas
for Florida grapefruit, particularly for
fruit labeled Orchid ,the name of an island in the area. Florida
grapefruit has thinner rinds and is juicier
than California grapefruit which is easier to peel.
Because Americans have shown a preference for sweet grapefruit
over tart or bitter fruit, the less
acidic Melogold and Oroblanco varieties - both crosses between
the pummelo and the grapefruit - are
becoming more popular. Each has yellow skin and white meat.
The pummelo, also known as the Chinese grapefruit or Shaddock,
is popular in the Asia but is new to
California and rarely seen in the Eastern United States. The
largest of citrus fruits - it can be as big as a
basketball - the pummelo has a very thick skin and white to
deep pink flesh. The aromatic and sweet
flesh has no trace of bitterness and is easily segmented.
The fragrant Ugli is allegedly pronounced OO-gli by Jamaicans
who grow this cross between a
grapefruit and a tangerine. Ranging in size from an orange to
a large grapefruit, the Ugli gets its name
from the somewhat unattractive, russeted yellow-green skin which
fits loosely over the fruit. Not
surprisingly, this ill-fitting cloak comes off easily revealing
yellow-orange fruit that is moderately sweet,
tasting of grapefruit with hints of orange or mandarin.
SEASONS:
Although this is a year-round fruit, the peak period for grapefruit
runs from January to April when
Florida grapefruit harvest is in full swing. As the Florida
harvest slows to a trickle in late June and July,
the California harvest picks up. Overall supplies of grapefruit
are at their lowest from July through
September.
Some red varieties such as Ruby Sweet, Rio Star and Flame are
available from October through May.
Oroblanco and Melogolds are harvested from December through
April. Summer is a bad time for citrus
in general and especially grapefruit which is often inferior
in quality but still pricey.
Pummelo season is mid January through mid February. The Ugli
is also a winter fruit but its season
usually extends into the spring.
SELECTION, HANDLING & STORAGE:
Look for grapefruit that is smooth, thin-skinned and round or
slightly flattened at each end. These will
have the best flavor and the most juice. They should be firm,
shiny and heavy in the hand for their
size, an indication of abundant juice.
Avoid coarse, rough-looking, puffy fruit or any with puffy protruding
ends, which is an indication that
the fruit is dry and flavorless. Good fruit should be springy
to touch, not soft, wilted or flabby. Defects
on the surface of the rind such as scale, scars, torn scratches,
discoloration are minor affecting
appearance only, not the eating quality.
Grapefruit is ripe when picked and will not ripen further once
off the tree. Store at room temperature
for several days. Otherwise refrigerate in a plastic bag or
in the crisper section of the refrigerator where
it will keep for several weeks.
Nutrition (also see facts page for nutrition label)~
A serving of 1/2 grapefruit (154 grams, 5.5 ounces) contains
70 calories, 18 grams of carbohydrates, 1
gram of protein, 5 grams of dietary fiber, 10% of the Daily
Values (formerly the RDA) for vitamin A,
80 % for vitamin C and 4% for calcium. Grapefruit is also a
good source of folic acid and potassium.
Some studies indicate that the pectin in grapefruit pulp (not
the juice) helps lower blood cholesterol and
may even help to dissolve the plaque that already clogs arteries.
Grapefruit appears to have protective
affects against certain forms of cancer, namely stomach and
pancreatic cancer. It also is high in
disease-fighting antioxidants, particularly the redder varieties.
Freshly squeezed juice stored at 40 degrees retains 98% of its
Vitamin C for up to a week. Eight
ounces of fresh-squeezed juice supplies 139% to 157% of the
DV for Vitamin C, while canned juice
supplies 112% of the DV. Grapefruit juice has antiviral properties
though its acidic qualities may
aggravate heartburn in some people.
What a Grapefruit has~
How to Prepare it~
Most people slice a grapefruit in half and eat it by scooping out the
sections with a teaspoon, often one with a
serrated edge specifically made for this purpose. But you can try eating
a grapefruit like an orange by peeling off the
skin and separating the fruit into sections.
For a change from lemon, try grapefruit grated or peeled and julienned
in the same manner as a
lemon. Or make a grapefruit twist for martinis. Use fresh juice for
cocktails with rum, gin or vodka. Grapefruits are really cool and
can be just as good as its fellow citrus pals.
You can also cut grapefruit into wedges for snacks. Cut the fruit in
half crosswise. With the halves cut
side up, cut each into 4 or 5 wedges. They serve it in this manner
in chinese restaurants sometimes.
By the way, dont be stupid like I was once and cut it half along the wrong side. Make sure its in between the two black dots on each end....otherwise it's really hard to eat with a spoon.
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