Grapefruit

Fresh grapefruit from California and Arizona are available year 'round. Several pink or red types are popular, including Ruby, Star Ruby, Rio Red and Marsh Ruby, as well as the White or Golden grapefruit.

Pummelos, also called Chinese grapefruit, are very large in size, with a thick yellow or green peel. The interior is either white or pink, milder than regular grapefruit and very aromatic. Pummelos are in season November through March, and are especially popular for Chinese New Year.

Sunkist® grapefruit is solid and juicy, has few seeds and smooth skin. Because of the diversity in California/Arizona production areas, Sunkist grapefruit is available 11 months of the year - from November to October.

White, Pink and Red grapefruit are alike in flavor and quality - only the color differs. Sometimes, light colored Pink grapefruit and White appear to be very close in color.

Oroblancos and Melogolds are two new, sweet and mild grapefruit varieties, that may have green exteriors even when they are ripe.

Sizing

California/Arizona grapefruit is shipped in sturdy, paperboard cartons which hold about 35 pounds of fruit. The size designation, printed on every carton, states the number of grapefruit in the carton and also gives an indication of the size of the individual fruit within that carton. For example, a carton of "40s" contains 40 medium-size grapefruit. A carton of "64s" holds 64 small-size grapefruit, while a carton of "27s" contains 27 very large grapefruit.

Handling and Storage

Keep fresh grapefruit in a cool, well-ventilated area. Keep cartons on a rack off the floor. The best temperature range for fresh grapefruit is 50° to 55°

Grapefruit Characteristics

Click here to see the Grapefruit Cost Matrix