Grapefruit

In-season, ripe grapefruit are almost as sweet as oranges, but they don't taste that way with their characteristic bitterness. Some grapefruit varieties are much more sweet and much less bitter, which we'll get into in this article.

First I'll review what grapefruit tastes like and then go over the different varieties (with pictures).

Jump to:

• What does grapefruit taste like?
• Types of grapefruit
• Red grapefruit
• Pink grapefruit
• White grapefruit
• Grapefruit-pomelo hybrids
• How to pick the best grapefruit
• When are grapefruit in season?
• How to cut & zest
• Recipes & flavor pairings

What does grapefruit taste like?

Let's start by talking about what grapefruit tastes like, so we can better understand how different varieties and ripeness affects them.

Modern grapefruit is dominated by a bitter flavor that can be mellowed out by the sweet-acidic balance. They also have a more complex flavor than other citrus, consisting of floral, piney, and woody notes.

Bitterness

Grapefruits stand out from other citrus fruit with their bitter taste, largely due to naringin (a flavor compound). That bitterness is highly concentrated in the white pith, as well as the membranes between the fruit segments. It's still noticeable in the juice as well, but not as dominant.

Red grapefruit taste the least bitter, followed by pink grapefruit varieties, and finally white grapefruit with the most bitterness.

Grapefruit recipes use sugar, salt, and fat (like butter or whipped cream) to tame the bitter flavors. And on the flip side, that bitterness balances out fat in desserts and other baked goods.

Check out the Grapefruit & Salt article on NPR for a very interesting history of salt and sugar usage on grapefruit in the US, including some war-time propaganda.

Tart & sweet

Like other citrus fruit, grapefruits are acidic. Their tartness tastes clean and bright, much less punchy than in lemons or limes.

Meanwhile, they are high in sugar even though they don't taste as sweet as other fruits. They have more than twice the amount of sugar (by weight) than lemons but less than oranges and clementines.

They also have more sugar than strawberries, believe it or not! But grapefruit taste less sweet partly because of their high acidity and bitterness, masking the sweet flavors.

Red grapefruit varieties tend to taste the sweetest, followed by pink grapefruit, and lastly white grapefruit.

Other flavor notes

Grapefruit also have a unique depth of flavor that other citrus don't get to brag about. It's hard to describe - it tastes floral (orange blossom), herbal (basil and pine), and resinous (woody and hops).

Types of grapefruit

You will find several types of grapefruit in the stores and farmers markets (for those of you in the warmer climates). While they all share the same basic flavor characteristics, they do taste slightly different.

The different types of grapefruit include red, pink, and white, which all have their own varieties. There are also grapefruit-pomelo hybrids that have gained popularity.

Let's go over each of the varieties with pictures, starting with red grapefruit. For even further reading, The UN's Economic and Social Council has an informal sheet on the common citrus varieties, associated names, and brand names (pdf).

Variety	Might be sold as:	Flesh color
Ruby Red	Florida Ruby Red, Ruby Sweet	Pink-red
Red Blush	Ruby Sweet	Pink-red
Henderson	Ruby Sweet, Henderson and Ray	Pink-red
Ray	Ruby Sweet, Ray Ruby, Henderson and Ray	Pink-red
Rio Red	Rio Star, Texas Choice	Red
Star Ruby	Rio Star, Texas Choice, Sunrise (from Florida)	Red
Flame	Flame	Red
Pink Marsh	Pink, or Thompson	Pink
Foster	Foster	Pink-orange
Duncan	Duncan	white (yellow)
Marsh	White Marsh, Marsh Seedless	white (pale yellow)
Oro Blanco	Oroblanco	large yellow rind, pale yellow flesh
Melogold	Pummelo-grapefruit	large green rind, yellow flesh

Red grapefruit

Grapefruit have become more marketable over the years thanks to breeding programs that increase the sugar content, reduce bitterness, and also reduce the number of seeds.

These breeding programs have produced some extremely sweet, low bitter varietals. These are best for fresh eating, and when picked ripe, they don't even need added sugar! A general rule of thumb is red grapefruit taste sweeter and less bitter than other varieties.

Red grapefruit have become very popular, but the varietal name is rarely on the label. Instead, they carry trademark and brands names, which often include several different varieties (similar to the current clementine market).

But first, let's start with the red grapefruit that gave this fruit its fame: Ruby Red.

Ruby Red

Ruby red grapefruit kicked off consumer adoption of grapefruit. It was patented in 1929 when a red variety was discovered growing on a pink grapefruit tree in Texas. But the trademark has expired, so anyone can grow and sell Ruby Red Grapefruit.

These are one of the main grapefruit grown in Florida, the predominant producer of grapefruit in the US. They are usually marketed as Florida Ruby Red.

Ruby Red grapefruit has become an entire category of grapefruit grown in Texas as a result of breeding programs to get redder and sweeter flesh. These include several types of grapefruit that might be labeled as 'Ruby Red' or by other marketing brand names.

Ruby Red grapefruit as still one of the most popular varieties at the grocery store. They have a pink-red interior that tastes sweet with a medium-low amount of bitterness. They are practically seedless too.

Ruby-Sweet

As grapefruit breeding took off and more varieties appeared, Texas trademarked Ruby-Sweet as a way to market them all under a single name. In one way, this helps simplify our shopping choices as consumers, but on the other hand, it prevents us from picking out our single favorite variety.

Grapefruit varieties marketed as Ruby-Sweet are earlier results of the breeding programs. They all have sweet flesh and a medium-low bitterness. Ruby Red has been grouped under this category, along with Red Blush, Henderson and Ray Ruby.

Henderson and Ray Ruby are sweeter with slightly darker red flesh than Ruby Red and their taste is pretty similar. In fact, sometimes they are sold as "Henderson and Ray."

Rio Star (Rio Red & Star Ruby)

The Rio Star grapefruit varieties showed up in the 1970's and 80's from breeding efforts at Texas A&M University. They were trying to create even redder grapefruits and finally succeeded in 1984 with the Rio Red variety.

Rio Star includes two grapefruit varieties: Rio Red and Star Ruby. Sometimes the grapefruit are labeled as Rio-Star and might include either variety, other times they are individually named.

Both of these grapefruit varieties are even sweeter and less bitter than Ruby Red and are currently among the sweetest grapefruit available. Their flesh is also 7-10 times darker than Ruby Red.

Star Ruby is a smaller-sized grapefruit and is one of the darkest red varieties out there. The flavor that is slightly more complex than Rio Star, however, it's not as commonly found since the trees aren't as widely adapted and more susceptible to pests and diseases.

These varieties might also be called Texas Choice. Sometimes the fruit industry isn't consistent, which can be frustrating for consumers looking for a specific varietal. Another example of this are clementines like Halo or Cuties which can include several different types of mandarin oranges depending on what's available.

Flame grapefruit

The third trademarked grapefruit is the Flame variety, released in Texas in the mid 1980's. It is another descendant of Ruby Red. These are commonly grown in both Texas and Florida.

The flesh is just a little darker than Ruby Red, and just as sweet as the Rio-Star varieties, making it instantly popular. It has a shorter season than the other varieties, usually from October to May.

Sweet Scarlett

Sweet Scarlett grapefruits are a branded name from the Wonderful company (the one behind the popular pomegranate seeds, pistachios, and Halo clementines).

The company has bought up 75% of the production in Texas and also has a large footprint in California. The Sweet Scarletts started out with the Rio Red variety, but with new planting and pruning techniques.

Pink grapefruit

Pink grapefruit have a more salmon-pink colored flesh than red varieties. They have a good balance of sweet and tart, with a more complex flavor than other types with the most classic grapefruit taste.

Pink grapefruit varieties are usually more bitter than the red varieties. Some people like this better, describing them as tasting more balanced.

Pink Marsh / Thompson

Pink Marsh are also called Thompson because they were discovered as a mutation in a Marsh tree on Thompson's property in Florida. They are also often sold simply as "pink grapefruit."

They have a classic grapefruit flavor with balanced sugars, acidity, and medium bitterness. They are virtually seedless (sometimes they have 1-6 seeds).

Foster Pink

I've never come across this variety, but Tasting Table features it. Despite the name, the flesh is more orange-yellow but it's also pretty seedy.

White grapefruit

Grapefruit were originally white (actually pale-yellow flesh), until they cross bred with other citrus and produced a pink variety (and later red).

White grapefruit were never very popular because they taste much more bitter, less sweet, and generally have a lot of seeds. Because of this, it's very rare to find white grapefruit sold in the stores.

The predominant variety, Duncan, is full of seeds. However, the flavor is excellent and is great for juicing. This variety is mostly sold to companies that make grapefruit juice and is rarely sold to consumers.

Another white grapefruit variety you might find is Marsh (not to be confused with Pink Marsh). It's rarely sold in stores, but you might find it at farmers markets and roadside stands in warmer climates (especially Florida). The yellow flesh is actually very light in color and more tart than Duncan, and seedless.

Grapefruit-pomelo hybrids

Oro Blanco and Melogold are a cross between pomelos and white grapefruit. These varieties both have pale yellow flesh and are seedless. They are known for having almost no bitterness, low acidity, and high sugar levels.

And they are absolutely giant! Much bigger than a typical grapefruit, though not quite as big as a baby watermelon (but they sure are trying to be!).

An agriculturalist at the University of California says Melogolds are better for mass-farming, but Oro Blancos have better flavor. I've had both, and I agree.

The season for these two varieties is shorter since they aren't grown as widely as red grapefruit. You can find them between December and March.

How to pick the best grapefruit

The best tasting grapefruit variety will depend on your own preferences. If you like sweeter grapefruit, all of the varieties will taste sweeter and less acidic later in the season. The peak starts around December and lasts through April.

As for specific flavors, here's some advice I have to offer:

• Sweetest varieties: Rio Red or Flame grapefruit
• Sweet-tart balanced: Ruby Red or Ruby Sweet
• Classic flavor: balanced with bitterness: pink grapefruits
• Something different: grapefruit-pomelo hybrids (very little bitterness)
• Juicing: white grapefruits if you can find them

Selecting for grapefruit juice

Duncan grapefruits are best for juicing if you can find them. If you can't, look for varieties that are grown in Florida. The subtropical climate and sandy soil produce grapefruit that are less pulpy, according to Michigan State, among other sources.

I find the pulp isn't noticeable when eating them fresh or adding to baked goods, but it will make a difference for juicing.

Weight, size, & scarring

Grapefruits that are heavier for their size are juicier (because more water content makes them heavier). Larger grapefruit (compared to ones of the same variety) indicate they were left longer on the tree, so they will be sweeter.

Scarring on the fruit's outer peel is perfectly fine, but you don't want to see hard or soft spots on the peel (a sign of deterioration).

How to store

You can leave whole grapefruit on the counter for about a week. If you want them to last longer, they will last several weeks in the fridge. However, bring them to room temperature before eating, as the cold temperatures inhibit our ability to taste the sugars and more nuanced flavors.

A grapefruit cut in half can be covered with plastic wrap and stored in the fruit drawer of your fridge. Cut up segments should be refrigerated in an airtight container.

You can even store grapefruit zest. According to tests from Cook's Illustrated, freezing zest retains most of it's flavor, unlike storing it in the fridge. Freeze zest by spreading it out on a tray, then transferring to a freezer bag once frozen (this keeps the zest separated instead of one big clump).

When are grapefruit in season?

Grapefruit are available from fall through spring, thanks to the different climates from big growers like Texas, Florida, and California. If you don't live in a state that grows grapefruit, you can still get high quality ones in your area. That's because they ship well, thanks to their thick, protective peel.

Texas and Florida are the two dominant grapefruit growers, with their season starting in November and lasting until May.

Southern California has recently become a big player in the grapefruit industry and their season covers the summer supply gap in the Florida and Texas market. California grapefruit are available from January through June.

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Florida	x	x	x	x	x						x	x
Texas	x	x	x	x	x						x	x
California	x	x	x	x	X	X

The longer the fruit is left to ripen on the tree, the larger and sweeter they get. So you are more likely to find sweeter ones later in the season. In fact, I often don't start buying them from any source until January.

See what's in season at the same time:

How to cut & zest

You can cut it in half (around the equator) and eat each segment with a spoon, or you can peel it and cut segments out (similar to an orange). The Pioneer Woman shares 3 ways to slice grapefruit, with plenty of pictures.

Remove wax before you zest: Grapefruits (and all citrus) are usually coated with a thin layer of wax to prevent moisture loss, which is currently approved by the FDA. Organic grapefruit are also coated in wax, but from an organic source like palm oil. To remove the wax, use a stiff bristle brush (like a vegetable brush), and clean it under hot running water.

Zest the outer, colored part of the peel, stopping when you get to the white part. The white part is the pith and is bitter.

Recipes & flavor pairings

Grapefruit pairs well with strong flavored herbs like rosemary, basil and mint. Subtle notes of cardamom and almonds are quite complementary as well. And don't forget the classic citrus & fish pairing. Get over 50 recipes in the Grapefruit pairings feature.

Sources: Purdue, UC Riverside, Texas Monthly