What can we do with grapefruit when we don’t love grapefruit?

January 5, 2020 1:41 PM

We bought a house and the house has a gorgeous grapefruit tree in the backyard. It’s very pretty and this being Northern California it’s already bearing fruit.

I don’t really love grapefruit per se but I don’t really despise it either. I’m sure with a little imagination there’s awesome things we could do with this fruit. I cook a lot and specialize in Italian foods and sushi so maybe there’s some way I could employ the grapefruit to those ends. Anyhoo any insight would be appreciated. Salut!

posted by Senor Cardgage to Food & Drink (36 answers total)

Trade it with your neighbors for something you like better!

Grapefruit glaze? Curd? Soda? Salad? Vinegar? Granitas?
posted by aw jeez at 1:45 PM on January 5, 2020 [3 favorites]

Wine?
posted by Splunge at 1:50 PM on January 5, 2020

Slice it in half, cover it in maple syrup, broil. Eat. Amazing.
posted by Toddles at 2:00 PM on January 5, 2020 [7 favorites]

You can use grapefruit instead of lemon in this recipe for polenta cake

You can also mix with chicken, rocket/arugula or spinach and toasted almonds for an awesome salad.
posted by kadia_a at 2:04 PM on January 5, 2020 [3 favorites]

This isn't going to use a whole lot, but one of my favorite cocktails uses grapefruit juice:
The Siesta.
(I usually double the amount of grapefruit.)
posted by sriracha at 2:04 PM on January 5, 2020 [1 favorite]

Agreed with aw jeez--this is a great opportunity to start to meet your neighbors.

Also, you may want to reach out to local food banks to see if they can use the fruit.
posted by Sublimity at 2:10 PM on January 5, 2020 [14 favorites]

Candied grapefruit rind is delicious!
posted by tmdonahue at 2:12 PM on January 5, 2020

Make a triple-citrus marmelade : use sliced whole orange, grapefruit juice, and sliced lemon peel. Add equal weight in sugar, and cook down (super easy in an Instant Pot). Yum.
posted by dum spiro spero at 2:14 PM on January 5, 2020 [2 favorites]

Set them out in front of your place with a sign that says "Free!"
posted by Thorzdad at 2:22 PM on January 5, 2020 [6 favorites]

Make something like lemon bars but with grapefruit curd instead of lemon curd! So tasty.
posted by centrifugal at 2:25 PM on January 5, 2020 [3 favorites]

In the SF Bay Area and we post extra fruit bounty on NextDoor and it goes really fast. You can definitely give it away (pick and put in paper bag, leave on front porch, advertise in NextDoor).
posted by handful of rain at 2:36 PM on January 5, 2020 [1 favorite]

I like grapefruit juice and champagne, or with bourbon.
posted by theora55 at 2:57 PM on January 5, 2020

Cake, candied peels, soda, lemonade, greyhound cocktail; beauty & household cleaning DIY; citrus peel ideas.
posted by Iris Gambol at 3:10 PM on January 5, 2020

Try using the fresh juice in ceviche, maybe half-and-half with lemon or lime juice.
posted by showbiz_liz at 3:20 PM on January 5, 2020 [1 favorite]

I recommend you try the grapefruit for taste. I live in Orange county, and we have three really prolific grapefruit trees on our property. One of the trees is very old, and makes really mild grapefruits with a peppery finish that is wonderful. Not available in any grocery store. If you leave the fruit on the tree for as long as possible, it will also become milder and sweeter. Also, our neighbors are all eyeballing the trees for ripeness and they love to get batches from us so it's good for bonding with the locals.
posted by effluvia at 3:23 PM on January 5, 2020 [10 favorites]

Last winter my dad made tangelo cordial. It was lovely over summer to have with soda water over summer.

I wouldn't try to use them all yourself (I have so much marmalade from this year orange extravaganza, and that barely made a dent in the orange supply this year). Offer them to friends, swap them on social media, still them in a bucket near the letterbox.
posted by kjs4 at 3:27 PM on January 5, 2020

If you're in the East Bay, please let me come get some, haha. How do you feel about grapefruit seltzer? Juice from one grapefruit + seltzer water and simple syrup and lemon if you want. I think it's delicious, but then I like grapefruit. (You may already know this, but grapefruit does interfere with some medications, fyi.)
posted by pinochiette at 3:37 PM on January 5, 2020 [3 favorites]

Make strawberry and grapefruit marmalade! (I'm pretty sure this is the recipe I've used before. It was delicious!)
posted by Weeping_angel at 3:41 PM on January 5, 2020 [1 favorite]

These are great with whiskey for breakfast. Don't judge me. (The curd by itself is also good.)
posted by shadygrove at 3:55 PM on January 5, 2020

Avocado and grapefruit salad. I will vacuum this up with no regard to anyone else nearby.

Slice avocados. Supreme grapefruits. Slice a red onion paper thin. Toss gently with a poppy seed and shallot vinaigrette. Invite me over.
posted by Liesl at 4:52 PM on January 5, 2020 [2 favorites]

Bear in mind that (sometimes fatal) drug interactions with grapefruit are common, and new ones are always being discovered.
posted by w0mbat at 5:11 PM on January 5, 2020 [3 favorites]

Grapefruit wine? I also am not fond of the flavour of grapefruits, but the winemaking process might transform it enough.
posted by porpoise at 5:24 PM on January 5, 2020

This grapefruit yogurt cake is really good, if you're in the mood for cake.
posted by ceramicblue at 6:00 PM on January 5, 2020 [1 favorite]

Sub grapefruit for lemon in a limoncello recipe - I’ve done this, and it’s stellar!
posted by ersatzkat at 6:23 PM on January 5, 2020

I *love* grapefruit soda. Make simple syrup but use grapefruit juice instead of the water. Stir a couple of spoons into a big glass of carbonated water. I've also used the zest to make my own bitters.
posted by Green Eyed Monster at 7:21 PM on January 5, 2020

Grapefruit juice + Campari liquer + sweeten to taste, over ice = AMAZING summer cocktail.
posted by nouvelle-personne at 9:12 PM on January 5, 2020

You might find that homegrown grapefruit are far tastier than anything you've had from shops. Otherwise, here are two delicious salads that are usually made with pomelo, but I see no reason why grapefruit won't work, as long as you taste as you go along and adjust other flavourings till you reach a balance you like - they won't be exactly like the originals, but should still be very flavourful and use up a couple of grapefruit each.

Bhogate sadekho (Nepali) - if you can get good Sichuan peppercorns, toast, grind and add some.

Pomelo and shrimp salad (Thai). Try sprinkling store-bought crispy fried shallots on top as a garnish. Plenty of other variations, with and without shrimp, from all over SE Asia.

(Sorry, neither is from your speciality cuisines, I just like these salads!)
posted by tavegyl at 10:38 PM on January 5, 2020

Grapefruit oleo-saccharum would be a fun thing to try.
video
posted by Bloxworth Snout at 1:01 AM on January 6, 2020

If you find that you really can't cook with it or just have too dang much, you can donate some to your local food bank. Yes, they'll take a box of grapefruit from your tree. Just call ahead.
posted by juniperesque at 6:33 AM on January 6, 2020

I'm in the same camp as you on grapefruit, but I like using it in savory dishes like the salads linked above and in cocktails. I've definitely had some fantastic pairings of thinly-sliced grapefruit and raw fish (both in crudo and sushi.)
posted by desuetude at 7:01 AM on January 6, 2020

Not for this year, but you can graft other citrus types onto your grapefruit tree.
posted by gregr at 7:25 AM on January 6, 2020

Grapefruit interacts with some medications, so check any meds you take.
posted by theora55 at 8:04 AM on January 6, 2020

Maybe a citrus tart. You can mix different fruits together. No personal recommendations though.
posted by kathrynm at 8:11 AM on January 6, 2020 [1 favorite]

Palomas, mmm!

Juice of one grapefruit
Equal part grapefruit soda (I like Italian soda better than Fresca)
Juice of one lime
Tequila if you want
Tajín on the room of your glass
Pour over ice

I don't like grapefruit but I love a Paloma
posted by meemzi at 2:18 PM on January 6, 2020

Have you ever tried adding sea salt to it? I didn’t think I liked grapefruit until I learned how to segment it and sprinkle the slices with lots of Maldon salt. It’s heaven.
posted by sallybrown at 5:07 PM on January 6, 2020 [2 favorites]

Granted it will taste of grapefruit, but my parents used to make a fantastic grapefruit sorbet. There's a reasonable quantity of sugar in it that moderates the bitterness, if that sells you on the idea.
posted by How much is that froggie in the window at 11:21 PM on January 6, 2020