Grapefruit
Grapefruit is well known on the breakfast table and appreciated for its healthy effect on blood pressure. Does grapefruit have any use as flavoring?
Grapefruit
(citrus paradisi)
CITRUS
Although it can be considered a modern fruit as it was not was recognized as a species until the 1830s, grapefruit has crossed the line from breakfast fruit to useful flavor to have around in the kitchen.
Curious Facts about grapefruit
Grapefruit comes in many varieties, determinable by color,the most popular varieties cultivated today are red, white and pink hues. The family of flavors range from highly acidic and somewhat bitter to sweet and tart.
Grapefruit can have a number of interactions with drugs, often increasing the effective potency of compounds. The effect of grapefruit juice with regard to drug absorption was originally discovered in 1989. However, the effect became well-publicized after being responsible for a number of deaths due to overdosing on medication. Be sure to talk to you doctor about your medications and grapefruit interactions.
How to Identiy grapefruit
The leaves of the grapefruit tree are dark green, long and thin. It produces white four-petalled flowers. The fruit is yellow-skinned, largely oblate and ranges in size, and has an acidic yellow segmented pulp.
Originally from the East Indies, its sweet but sharp flavor may suggest that grapefruit was initially an hybrid of oranges -inheriting their sweetnes- and citron -hence the sour flavor.
How to use and store grapefruit
Usually served with sugar or juiced as a healthy way to start your breakfast.
Grapefruit is recommended as an slimming aid as It is supposed to contain enzimes that stimulate metabolism.
It is widely used in sweet or savory salads. Apart from that, grapefruit pulp and peel make an interesting marmalade.
How to grow grapefruit
Virtually 90% grapefruit is grown in North America, where it is very popular. The sweet pink variety -keeping the original flavor without any sharp notes- was first produced in Texas.
Cooking with grapefruit
Grapefruit is very popular as a breakfast fruit, either whole or grapefruit juice. It lends itself to a good variety of creations both sweet and savory, like this salad.
Avocado, Crab and Grapefruit Salad
4 avocados
1 pound crab meat, picked through and diced
½ cup pecans
1 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons ketchup
dash of Worcestershire sauce
lettuce
1 cup halved grapefruit sections
2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
black olives
Procedure
Cut avocados in half and remove their seeds.
Mix together the crab meat with the next 4 ingredients then spoon the mixture into the avocados.
Serve on a bed of lettuce. Use the grapefruit sections as a border and top with the chopped eggs and black olives.
Cooking your way with grapefruit
Substitute lemons or oranges for grapefruit in your recipes and you would be surprised by a very refreshing flavor.
citrus paradisi: grapefruit - French pamplemousse - German grapefrucht, pampelmuse - Italian pompelmo - Spanish pomelo, pamplemusa.