After a week of Thanksgiving leftovers and another holiday right around the corner some light options may be needed to balance out your diet. Grapefruit is a tasty and healthy addition!
Grapefruits make up nearly 80% of the citrus industry in Texas which is due to the South Texas subtropical climate, fertile soil and sunshine. Have you ever wondered why we call them grapefruit? This is due to the fruit growing in clusters similar to the growing patterns of grapes.
USDA MyPlate recommends that that we consume 2 cups of fruit each day. One-half of a grapefruit provides ½ cup of fruit and 70% of the daily recommended amount of Vitamin C. Grapefruit is also fat, sodium and cholesterol free.
These fruits are tree-ripened and hand-picked for increased quality. Because of disease and low fruit production, grapefruit are often not grown from seeds but from grafting. This process joins parts from two or more plants so they grow as a single plant. Trees normally take three years before they begin to produce large amounts of fruit. A ten year old tree may have the capacity to produce 250 pounds of fruit!
Not only are grapefruits tasty and healthy to eat, they have many other uses. The juice can be extracted and chilled or frozen. The peel of grapefruits can be candied and is an important source of pectin which is used for the preservation of other fruits. Add sections of grapefruit to sweeten your salads or salsas!
Grapefruit is rich in nutrition and has a great impact on Texas Agriculture!
References:
http://aggie- horticulture.tamu. edu/citrus/grapefruit.htm
http:// www.texasweet.com/ texas-citrus-learning-center/
https://whatscooking.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/factsheets/ HHFS_GRAPEFRUIT_ FRESH_December2012.pdf
