How to Eat a Grapefruit

Grapefruits are a delicious fruit in the citrus family. They are sometimes a bit tangy, but a sprinkle of sugar will help make them sweeter. The grapefruit is very healthy eaten as a snack or as part of your breakfast.[1] You can eat it any way you want: peeled or cut in halves, eighths, or quarters. Read below for several different methods of eating a grapefruit, as well as some great, healthy recipe ideas.

Method 1
Method 1 of 3:

Eat a Grapefruit in the Rind

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    If you haven't tried grapefruit before, be cautious when eating it. You could be allergic.[2]
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    Pick out a nice grapefruit at the store. Grapefruits should be hard, but not too hard. Grapefruits don't ripen much once they are picked, so choose wisely.
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    Wash the grapefruit.
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    Cut the grapefruit.
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    Sprinkle it with sugar or salt if desired.
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    Insert a spoon (ideally one which is serrated at the tip) in the grapefruit and take out a chunk. Take a bite, avoiding the bitter, hard-to-chew "walls" separating the grapefruit's segments.
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    Repeat until you're all done.
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    Dispose of the peel in an environmentally friendly way such as composting.
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    Use an alternative method. If this method if too messy for you or you dislike the amount of rind you encounter, use the method below or try segmenting the grapefruit.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 3:

Eat a Grapefruit in Sections

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    Using a small knife, cut the grapefruit in half.
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    Cut each half into wedges. Cut each half in half again and repeat until standard wedges are produced.
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    Cut along the rind to remove just the fruit.
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    Cut the wedge in half and remove the center pips.
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    Enjoy your grapefruit!
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Method 3
Method 3 of 3:

Eat a Grapefruit in Recipes

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    Eat it on salad. Grapefruit goes great on salad. Cut up pieces using the method above and mix with arugula (or the salad of your choice), feta cheese, walnuts and a small amount of vinaigrette for a healthy and delicious meal.
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    Grill grapefruit. You can easily grill grapefruit to caramelize the natural sugars and bring out the flavor. Either cut it in half and grill it face-side down for 5 minutes or cut it into circular slices and grill 2 minutes (or until it appears done). Top with honey for a healthy grill treat.[3]
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    Turn it into salsa. If you like orange or mango salsa, give grapefruit salsa a try. Dice the fruit and mix with lime, caramelized onions, diced jalapeno, and diced avocado. You can put this on crackers, use it to top salmon, a salad, or anywhere else you'd normally use salsa.[4]
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    Juice it. You can juice the grapefruit and use it in a variety of ways. Replace the lime to produce grapefruit margaritas. Drink it straight or with a little water for a tart summer treat. Pour it over chicken and pan-sear for a twist on lemon-chicken.
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Community Q&A

  • Question
    If I eat grapefruit and plant the seed that was inside it, will it grow?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Something may grow, but it will not necessarily be the same as the fruit you planted. First of all it will take a long time to grow enough of a tree to produce fruit, and secondly the properties (taste, nutrition) of that fruit will be unpredictable. Commercial fruit farmers make new trees from cuttings, not seeds, in order to ensure consistency of the final product.
  • Question
    How can I tell when a grapefruit is ripe?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    A ripe grapefruit often has a richer color. The deeper the color of the rind, the riper the grapefruit tends to be. A ripe grapefruit will also give a little if you squeeze it gently. The firmer the grapefruit feels, the less ripe it will be.
  • Question
    I eat grapefruits by peeling them and eating them in segments, like an orange. Is this normal?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    I do the same, so it can't be that abnormal.
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Warnings

  • Don't try to eat the tougher parts of the grapefruit that separate the segments. They aren't dangerous, but don't taste very good and are hard to chew.
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  • Grapefruit can have harmful interactions with some prescription medications. If you are taking prescription medications, consult your doctor or pharmacist before enjoying grapefruit.[5]
    ⧼thumbs_response⧽
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References

  1. ↑ http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=25
  2. ↑ https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321764.php
  3. ↑ https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2011/05/healthy-delicious-broiled-grapefruit.html
  4. ↑ https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/food-recipes/a3485/grapefruit-salsa/
  5. ↑ https://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm292276.htm

About This Article

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 41 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed 889,881 times.
101 votes - 79%
Co-authors: 41
Updated: May 6, 2021
Views: 889,881
Categories: Eating Techniques
Article SummaryX

If you want to eat grapefruit quickly, cut one in half and use a spoon to scoop chunks out of it. That way you won't be eating the bitter walls that separate the slices. If you want it to be even sweeter, sprinkle salt or sugar over it before you scoop some out. To eat it more like an orange, cut the grapefruit in half, and then cut each half in half. Repeat that process until you are left with standard wedges. Scroll down to learn how to cut the grapefruit into slices.

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