Grapefruit
The grapefruit is a subtropical citrus tree grown for its fruit which was originally named the "forbidden fruit " of Barbados.
The fruit has only become popular from the late 19th century; before that it was only grown as an ornamental plant. The US quickly became a major producer of the fruit, with orchards in Florida, Texas, Arizona, and California. In Spanish, the fruit is known as toronja or pomelo.
The flesh is segmented and acidic, varying in color depending on the cultivars, which include white, pink and red pulps of varying sweetness (generally, the redder varieties are sweeter).
Grapefruit is a hybrid of the pomelo and the orange.
Grapefruits are often served as a breakfast dish, usually with added sugar to counteract the high acidity.
Removing the wax coating from a grapefruit
non organic citrus fruit is coated with a thin layer of wax (either petroleum based or natural), which prevents water loss and therefore extends the shelf life. Wax is also used for aesthetic reasons. Apparently, as consumers, we demand shiny fruit. Organic fruit is not waxed as that would not be permitted under organic standards.
Here are a couple of methods that you can use to remove wax from a grapefruit:
Boiling water
- Place fruit in a colander
- Boil a kettle & leave to cool for 5 minutes
- Pour over the fruit
- Using gloves to protect your hands from the heat, scrub the fruit with a small brush
- Rinse with cold water and wipe dry with paper towels
Microwave
- Microwave fruit for 10 seconds
- Using gloves to protect your hands from the heat, scrub the fruit with a small brush
- Rinse with cold water and wipe dry with paper towels
How much does one cup of grapefruit flesh weigh?
Estimated US cup to weight equivalents:
| Ingredient | US Cups | Grams | Ounces | |
| Grapefruit flesh | segments/large pieces/ flesh only | 1 |
225 grams | 8 ounces |
Conversion notes:
Every ingredient has a cups to ounces or grams conversion table. Search for the ingredient, cup to weight conversions are at the end of each ingredient page.
We also have a generic conversion table and a portions per person lookup.
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