I went grocery shopping earlier this week and I came home with so much citrus that I barely knew what to do with myself. I love citrus because it reminds me of the warmer months, and the tangy refreshing taste of oranges, grapefruit, limes, and lemons do wonders when you’re feeling a bit glum because of the weather. Growing up, I didn’t really eat grapefruit very often, because I was instantly put off by the bitterness, but recently I’ve been warming up to it. It started when a friend bought a grapefruit liqueur that quickly became one of my favourite things in the world, and since then I’ve been trying to work grapefruit into my life. Here are three of my favourite ways to enjoy grapefruit, and if you aren’t a fan of grapefruit, I encourage you to give these a try because you just might change your mind!
Back in the 90s when I was growing up, I remember several diets where everyone would recommend you eat half a grapefruit for breakfast. I never quite understood that, especially once I found out how bitter some grapefruit were. Now, I know how to fix that—with some sweetness! I like taking giant grapefruit halves and slathering honey or agave on them, but sometimes I sprinkle a little bit of sugar or stevia instead. I recently found out that sprinkling salt on the fruit makes it tastes sweeter as well, and it still tastes delicious!
Serving slices of grapefruit in syrup makes for a delicious accompaniment to vanilla ice cream, as well! All you have to do is make a simple sugar syrup and add whatever extra flavourings you like (such as sage or ginger), and then pour the syrup over thin slices of grape fruit. While slightly more decadent than the previous idea, the tanginess of the fruit coupled with the intense sweetness of the syrup goes amazingly well with the cooling vanilla ice cream. Serve this at a party or something, everyone will love you.
I was surprised to find out that grapefruit goes really well with shrimp, particularly in salads. I throw in a few grapefruit segments when I make shrimp salad, and I actually prefer grapefruit over strawberries more often than not these days. It’s like eating a little burst of sunshine, and it makes my salads so much more enjoyable to eat. Give grapefruit a try next time you put together a salad, I think you’ll be surprised by how good it tastes.
