Homemade Grapefruit Slices - Recipe Diaries (2024)

FAQs

What to sprinkle on grapefruit? ›

Salt Is the Secret to Sweeter-Tasting Grapefruit

While it may seem counterintuitive, salt — not sugar — can make grapefruit taste less bitter and more sweet. Sure, sugar can drown out the bitterness and sour flavor if you sprinkle it on thick enough, but salt actually balances these tastes rather than covering them up.

Some statin drugs to lower cholesterol, such as Zocor (simvastatin) and Lipitor (atorvastatin). Some drugs that treat high blood pressure, such as Procardia and Adalat CC (both nifedipine). Some organ-transplant rejection drugs, such as Neoral and Sandimmune capsule or oral solution (both cyclosporine).

Not so fast. Not only does sugar add significant and non-nutritive calories, it can also overpower the naturally sweet grapefruit flavor. It may seem counter-intuitive, but a pinch of salt may be your ticket to grapefruit enjoyment.

Grapefruits, like oranges and other citrus fruits, are high in vitamin C. In fact, one whole, medium grapefruit provides you with 100% of your daily requirement for vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant that is great for your immune system and can help you fight off viruses and bacteria that can cause disease.

Grapefruit: Pairs well with banana, basil, black pepper, caramel, coconut, ginger, lemon, lime, melon, mint, papaya, pineapple, pomegranate, raspberry, rosemary, strawberry, thyme, tropical fruits, and vanilla.

There is no scientific evidence to support the claim that grapefruit should be eaten on an empty stomach for optimal health benefits. However, some people may prefer to eat grapefruit before a meal because it can help stimulate digestion and reduce appetite, potentially leading to weight loss.

The classic way to enjoy grapefruit – splitting it and eating with a spoon – is OK, she said. (Be sure to rinse it before you cut: Otherwise, the knife might push bacteria on the skin through the entire fruit.) But if you peel it like an orange and eat it by the section, you get added benefits from the membranes.

In short, as Erica Lea, who also writes about food at Buttered Side Up, explains, before you use a spoon to dig out the fruit from a halved grapefruit, you need to use a sharp knife with a serrated edge to carve out around and in between each section in order to separate the good stuff from the bitter membrane.

You can peel it and divide it into segments, like an orange. But a grapefruit has much tougher membranes than an orange, and personally I find them unpleasant to munch. Another way to eat the grapefruit is to cut it in half, and scoop out the segments with a serrated grapefruit spoon.

How do you make red grapefruit sweeter? ›

Grapefruit can be tangy, sweet, or tart, but despite this, many people think that all grapefruit are just bitter, which is simply not true! If you bit into a juicy segment looking for a sweet treat and got a mouth full of tart, don't give up on grapefruit! It could be that you've simply picked the wrong type.

Sprinkle each grapefruit half with 1 tablespoon brown sugar, then drizzle with melted butter and a little honey. Sprinkle cinnamon over the tops if you like. Broil grapefruit until the sugar melts and caramelizes, 2 to 5 minutes. (Broilers vary a lot so watch carefully to make sure they don't burn.)

Sugar can overpower the natural sweetness. It may seem counterintuitive, but a pinch of salt may be all you need! The science behind the suggestion is simple. The ions in the salt block the bitter sensors on your tongue allowing the sweet flavor of the grapefruit to come through.