Another Way to Eat a Grapefruit

Eating a grapefruit may seem like a simple thing to do, but for the majority of my life I have done it the hard way (what I now consider the wrong way). Most of the people I have spoken to about this issue have told me they did it the old hard way too.

So what is the old way? Well, I'd cut the grapefruit in half, down the middle. I'd take that half and put it in a bowl. Then, I'd cut each little section of the fruit, making a bunch of triangles (this seemed to take forever). Once done with the cutting, I'd sprinkle sugar on top. Finally I'd eat it with a spoon.

It was a labor intensive process and the grapefruit with the sugar on it just seemed to taste bitter. It was so much hassle for something I didn't really like it. So I didn't eat grapefruit very often.

Then, after I watched lots of cooking shows and saw how chefs cut fruits I decided to try the same method on my grapefruit. And guess what? It worked. The new method was much easier and faster with less waste. Also, the grapefruit tasted better (ie sweeter) without the sugar. And of course, there's less calories because there is no added sugar. It's a win win situation.

Now I eat grapefruit every day. Literally.

So let's get started. You will need:

Grapefruit
Cutting board (or a dinner plate if you don't have a cutting board)
Sharp knife, serrated is best

First of all, pick a good variety of grapefruit. My favorite is Texas grapefruit but then, I'm partial to Texas stuff. Try to pick a grapefruit that has a darker skin. You will find the fruit much sweeter. Also, if you keep your grapefruit in the fridge it will be nice and cool. Really refreshing on a hot day.

You can use a plate if you don't have a cutting board but a cutting board is best--a wooden cutting board that hasn't been used for meat.

When I eat the grapefruit I usually don't even bother with a plate or bowl. I just eat right off the cutting board. It saves on washing dishes.

(And yes, I know you could just peel it like an orange, but then you have some of the white inner peel left. And that is white stuff is bitter.)

Step 1: Ready Your Fruit and Assemble Your Tools

Wash the grapefruit skin well. Use a little soap and rinse well with cold water. Dry it.

Place the grapefruit on the cutting board, laying on its side.

Cut approximately 1 inch off the bottom, straight across.

The goal is to make it flat on the bottom (or top).

Step 2: Cut Off One End

After you cut off one end, this is what it should look like.

Step 3: Flip It Around

Now cut off the other end.

Step 4: Set Grapefruit Upright and Cut

Turn the grapefruit over and place it one flat end.

Cut by running your knife down the side. Don't worry about leaving any of the meat of the fruit on the skin.

Step 5: Continue to Cut

Turn the grapefruit and cut down the sides. Continue to turn and cut, turn and cut.

Step 6: Finish Peeling

Once you have finished cutting away all the peel, you will be left with just the center portion of the grapefruit. It should be a rounded cylinder shape.

DON'T THROW AWAY YOUR PEELS!

Step 7: Turn the Center and Cut Into Sections

Turn the center portion of the grapefruit on its side and cut in sections.

You will get approximately 3-4 rings or sections, depending how thick you cut them.

Step 8: Cut the Sections

Cut the sections into bite size pieces. I usually cut them into 3 or 4 pieces.

Step 9: Eat the Fruit in the Peel

Eat the fruit in the peel as well as the juicy center section.

Don't waste any of this delicious stuff!

Step 10: Enjoy!

And lastly, enjoy the fruits of your labor...(sorry, I just had to say it.)

ps. Don't just throw your peels in the trash. Compost them.

Comments

[EmmaT3]

Thank you for posting this - it's so nice not only to enjoy the experience of eating my grapefruit (knowing the good its doing my body too) but also to not have to dread the peeling process! I think I'm going to end up eating more grapefruit! :)

[GreatLakesSurfer]

So glad I stumbled upon this method. It's taken me over fifty years to finally find a way to eat my Texas Ruby Reds easier than the old way of cutting them in half and using a spoon to slooowwllly and methodically take the fruit meat out. I'm also partial to Texas stuff and know that their grapefruit are sweeter than most. I WAS searching for a serrated spoon to try to make my old ritual easier but luckily saw this link. Thanks.

[sparkleponytx]

You are welcome! I eat grapefruit every day --- it is good medicine as well as tasty.

[fedorsmith]

I love grapefruit this way, and have been doing it for years. Since you are going to cut all the skin off, there is no need to wash it - that is just a waste of water and time.

[sparkleponytx]

Thanks for your comment. I would still wash the skin, however, as the knife cutting through the skin will drag any "dirty" stuff inside, thus contaminating your fruit.

Better safe than sorry.

[recyclegrandma]

Here's a word of caution re grapefruit. A recent item in one of our national Canadian newspapers, the Globe & Mail, states that a chemical in the juice (furanocoumarin) can suppress the action of an enzyme called CYP3A4 in the intestinal tract and the doctor who wrote the info says "taking one tablet of a certain blood pressure lowering drug with a glass of grapefruit juice produced blood concentrations the same as ingesting 3 tablets with a glass of water." This could possibly result in overdose.
He goes on to say that even eating the fruit or drinking the juice some hours before ingesting the meds does not cancel out the effects and, also, it has the possibility of affecting more than 60 medications.
Strange to say, sweet oranges or orange juice are okay to have.
The chemical in grapefruit is also found in bitter (Seville) oranges, limes and pomelos.
If you are on any kind of meds, check with your pharmasist or doctor just to be safe.
I love grapefruit and used to eat one like I'd eat an orange. I miss it.

[sparkleponytx]

thanks for the info.

[WhosWho]

I cut a pink or red grapefruit in half... and then "push" on the peel side until it turns wrong side out.  Then I peel off all the segments and put them in a quart jar.
I buy pink grapefruit juice from the refridgerated section at the supermarket (it has no added sugar like corn syrup - label SHOULD say just "grapefruit juice").  I pour that over the segments, close the jar and put it in the fridge.
The next morning, I can have a nice cold bowl of grapefruit + juice, and it's absolutely delicious. 
Always have it with home made whole grain bread and an egg fried in olive oil.... and a glass of super skim milk. 
Awesome!! 

[sunflowergal]

I too have been eating graefruit the hard way.  I even have a special knife for them.  However, my two-year-old, who doesn't have patience, inspired me to go on a search for an easier way.  Thanks for helping.  Merry Christmas!

[dchall8]

I used to eat grapefruit every day, too. I made wedges and sucked the fruit off of the skin. You have to have a pretty sweet grapefruit to eat them like that. Now that you know the Texas red varieties of grapefruit are the sweetest, you need to know how to find the sweetest of the sweetest. Look for those with very thin skins. How do you know? First of all the thickest skinned ones have that big bulge at the top of the fruit, like yours. That is the first "red flag" for a less sugary grapefruit. Next look for perfectly smooth skin. The smoother the skin the sweeter the grapefruit. I would pass on the one selected in these photos because I can see the pores in the skin. A really sweet one will not have the indented pores. Look for them. There are usually a few in every box.

[sparkleponytx]

Ok Mr. SmartyGrapefruitPants! Thanks for the info but I have to correct you about this one. This grapefruit was sweet and juicy and just fine. And yes, the thinner skin is better BUT not if it is lighter in color. The darker the skin, the redder the meat and the sweeter it all is...at least, here in Texas. So, I go for color first, thickness second. As for the pores showing up...I haven't noticed any difference in that department but I will keep an eye on it. Thanks.

[dchall8]

Here is a picture of a grapefruit with no pores. You can see where the pores would have been but you can also see from the reflection that the skin is perfectly smooth. If you are in doubt, feel the surface of the fruit. It will feel much smoother than the rest of the fruit. Surface blemishes or discolorations have no affect on sweetness - at least not that I have found.

[lemonie]

I usually segment the things, which as I was taught many years ago, is the main point of cutting citrus fruit in this way. Being the case that these days far too many people don't know how to peel fruit, this is a useful contribution. L

[sparkleponytx]

Thanks.

[bruc33ef]

C'mon. Half the juice pours out onto the cutting board and your hands, and you left half the meat in the peelings. Your kid is going to starve to death that way and someone should call Child Services right away.

[trispark]

Don't compost the peels or at least compost them separately. Worms don't like the acid.

[sparkleponytx]

Thanks but the worms died a last summer. I left them outside and the bin got way too hot. Now we just a regular compost bin and so it don't matter. And besides, we live in a part of TX where the soil and water are alkaline. The acid from the citrus is needed and appreciated by all.

[dchall8]

Go ahead and compost the peels. If the worms don't like them (and I don't know that they don't) something else will...fruit flies for example.

[sparkleponytx]

Har har.