by: Tom Midford
Hello everyone, it’s Tom again. I would like to give a shout out to Produce Good for its work feeding San Diego’s food-insecure residents and reducing food waste. I would also like to thank Yasukochi Family Farms, which has been around since 1908. And finally, I would like to thank More Than Apples for fighting food waste and hunger here in Northern San Diego County.
History of the Grapefruit
The grapefruit originally came from 17th-century Barbados. The youngest of the citruses, grapefruit is unique in hailing from the Caribbean, half a world away from the homeland of the rest of the citrus family, in Southeast Asia. Of the grapefruit’s origin, little is known. There is a mention of a tree bearing a ‘forbidden fruit’ in 1750, which did not develop into the modern grapefruit. The ‘forbidden fruit’ tree is mentioned again in 1756. It is referred to as a ‘barbados grapefruit’ in an 1830 mention. The grapefruit was first commercially harvested less than 200 years ago. For most of its history, the grapefruit was harvested in the Caribbean. Grapefruit trees were harvested in Mexico for at least several decades before 1823, when they were brought to Florida, according to a 1918 source. When grapefruits were brought to the United States, they were originally harvested mostly in Florida and Texas. The amount of grapefruits harvested in America increased massively between the 1910s and 1940s.
Harvest
Grapefruit harvest times are affected by temperature. Harvests can range from 7-8 months in some regions and 13 months in others. grapefruits are usually ready by late autumn. However, you can ‘store’ the fruit on the tree through the winter, which will sweeten the fruit. In order to determine when it is ready, taste it. When it is ready to be picked, grasp the fruit and give it a good twist to separate it from the tree.
Grapefruit Sorbet Recipe
Ingredients
3 large pink or red grapefruit, scrubbed
1 cup white sugar
¼ cup light corn syrup
4 cups water
1 dash red food coloring (Optional)
Directions
Step 1 Use a vegetable peeler or large zester to remove 3 long strips of peel (just the zest, not the pith) from the grapefruits. Set aside. Squeeze out 2 cups of grapefruit juice.
Step 2 In a saucepan, combine the grapefruit peel, sugar, corn syrup and water. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar, and cook for about 2 minutes. Set aside to cool. Place in the refrigerator, or set in a bowl of ice for faster chilling. Discard the peel.
Step 3 Strain the grapefruit juice through a sieve or strainer to remove the pulp. Discard pulp. Stir the sugar syrup into the grapefruit juice, and mix in food coloring one drop at a time to achieve a pleasing, believable pink. (In other words, don't overdo it.)
Step 4 Pour into the container of an ice cream maker, and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions. Transfer to a container and freeze until firm before serving.
Citations
Foodchick23. “Pink Grapefruit Sorbet”. allrecipes, April 10, 2022. https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/87387/pink-grapefruit-sorbet/
Louzada, Eliezer S.; Ramadugu, Chandrika. “Grapefruit: History, Use, and Breeding.” American Society for Horticultural Science, May 5, 2021. April 10, 2022.
Grant, Amy. “When Grapefruits are Ready to Pick: How to Tell if a Grapefruit is Ready to Pick.” Gardening Know How, May 5, 2021. April 10, 2022.https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/fruits/grapefruit/harvesting-grapefruits.htm#:~:text=Grapefruit%20should%20be%20harvested%20when,it%20becomes%2C%20so%20be%20patient.