How To Store Grapefruit All Year Round – GimmeTasty.com

Sale! Grapefruit! It is a season (January-April) wherein grapefruit is in abundance, so if you are a fruit person and love to hoard by the dozen while it is cheap, it’s best to learn a few tricks on how to store grapefruit to make it last longer.

With these tips, you’ll be able to make that pie on grandma’s birthday or bring some for the month end party. In fact, you will be surprised to learn that it’s all possible when you learned how to properly store them. So prepared to be amazed to discover these useful techniques, which will help you to stretch your budget, organize plans and save time.

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How To Store Grapefruit

Store It At Room Temperature

Storing grapefruit depends on when you plan to use them. If you plan to eat it all in just a few days, it would be best to store them at room temperature since they will last for a week.

Here is what you need to do:

1. Prepare a container intended for your storage. A bowl, a rack or the kitchen counter will do.
2. Arrange your grapefruit in carefully ensuring that none of it gets bruised. Give attention to the bottom part since that’s mostly where the pressure is. Do not stack them closely together. Crushed grapefruit affects how they taste and you will end up disappointed.

Tips:

• Buy good quality of grapefruit from the store (I suggest the farmer’s market) or any fruit stand that you frequently go to. Pick those that are firm, smooth and have no black colors on them or damage.
• Do not put your grapefruit inside a closed container or plastic bag. It will easily get spoiled since the air can’t circulate well. I suggest using a mesh bag or just any open container.

Store It In The Refrigerator

After taking advantage of the farmer’s market sale and buying grapefruit in bulk, you plan to keep them for weeks after you bought them. So it is advisable to store them in your fridge. It will last 2 weeks in the fridge (depending on how fresh the fruit was when you bought it).

Here is what you need to do:

1. Wash each grapefruit properly. Gently rub the dirt off under running water. This will eliminate harmful bacteria that could spoil them while they are in storage.
2. Completely dry the surface of the fruit. You can do this by wiping them with clean paper towels (one by one). Any moisture will invites bacteria to thrive and could easily spoil the fruit.
3. Clean your fridge thoroughly (the cleaner, the fewer bacteria will grow).
4. If you prefer, put your grapefruit inside some produce bags. These are designed to keep the freshness of the fruits or vegetables inside the fridge. However, I do not use bags for my grapefruit since I think the peel is thick enough to protect itself, so I suggest putting the fruit in a bowl or any container of your liking. This way you won’t need to keep opening the bag whenever you want some.
5. Place the grapefruit in your fruit rack on a low humidity setting. It is very convenient to also have a fridge crisper drawer.

Tips:

• It is best to clean the fruit without using any soap or other cleaning detergents (which is often advertised in the market) as it may contain toxic chemicals that are harmful to your health.
• Do not stack too many grapefruit inside the drawer. It could dent or bruise it, causing early spoilage.
• If you happen to have leftovers when eating grapefruit (either cut or peeled), put them in inside a sealed container or plastic wrap and place them immediately inside the fridge to preserve the freshness. You can chill them for up to 3 days.
• If you plan to serve refrigerated grapefruit, it is better to take it out ahead of time (before serving) and restore it back to room temperature. It will taste sweeter and even juicier.

Store It In The Freezer

If you opt to freeze the rest of your grapefruit, you can expect it to last for several months. On top of the savings you will have got from the sale you’ve taken advantage of, you will have some ready stock to use at anytime.

Image credit to StyleBlueprint

How to store grapefruit by freezing is a little bit different though, compared to the room temperature or chilling methods.

Here is what you need to do:

1. Peel the grapefruit, making sure you take out the white pith (the soft spongy part that is attached) as well.
2. It is your choice whether you prefer to freeze them whole or cut them into sections.
3. Collect the sections into a bowl and drain them (some juice might come out during the peeling). Keep them as dry as possible.
4. Arrange the sections on a tray with wax paper (single layer). Remember, do not over stuff the freezer.
5. Cover it with a plastic wrap.
6. Let it freeze and then transfer it into produce bags (or a container, whichever you prefer) squeezing out air as much as you can before sealing it. You can use them by getting them out from the freezer whenever you like, whether to eat them directly, juice or make into shakes.

• Fruits that you opt to freeze whole can be put it inside the bag or container right away and stored.

Tips:

• Freezing fruits means letting it stay inside for a long time. It is best to label each bag (put the freezing date) for easy tracking. This way, you can monitor and not overstore it in time. This is also very useful when you freeze fruits on different dates as you will know what to use first (FIFO system). Be sure not to forget them. Remember that overstoring them can cause freeze burn. All your efforts would be put to waste!

Common Things You Need To Have

If you make the list below handy and always ready to view in your home, all your storing will be done in a jiffy!

• Plastic wrap.
• Wax paper.
• Paper towels.
• Produce bags.
• Produce containers.
• Bowls/plates.
• Knife.

Skills To Learn

How to cut a grapefruit? Learning how to cut a grapefruit is important before freezing it. If you have not done it before, here is a link to help you:

• Methods on How to Cut a Grapefruit

Related Information

Do you know that there are different types of grapefruit? They vary in color, size and peel thickness. Knowing what kind of grapefruit you have will help you to choose the right storing method and the space needed. Learn more!

Now, how was it? Did this article help you in your storage plans? Learning how to store grapefruit will keep you organized, give you time to prepare and means you’ll have money to spare. You will never run out of stock too!

Now, do you have a recipe in mind? Make it today, next week or even next month, it makes no difference. With proper storage, you will never let your friends down. Spread the word!

If you have any questions or even suggestions, write a comment and we will be glad to hear it. Till next time!