Grapefruit origin of the word. Grapefruit is a grape fruit. Vegetable and shrimp salad

1. From English grapefruit – grape fruit (grape – grapes, fruit – fruit). But this fruit has nothing to do with grapes. It’s just that English sailors, on one of their voyages on the island of Barbados, saw huge trees with an abundance of fruits on them. These same fruits were collected in bunches similar to grapes.

And this amazing acquaintance of Europeans with grapefruit happened late: only in the eighteenth century (1750).

1. Another name for grapefruit is Pompelmus grapefruit. As you may have guessed, the plant is called this because of the fruits that grow in clusters. There can be from three to twelve pieces in one bunch. Each ball weighs up to half a kilogram!
2. From Latin (Citrus paradisi) the name of the fruit is translated as “heavenly citrus”.

Do you know...

Do you know, that grapefruits are yellow, with a pink tint and white?

And the sweetest fruit is the one whose skin is more pink! The sweetness of the fruit is due to the presence of beta-carotene in it. The brighter the color of the grapefruit peel, the more this substance and sweetness the fruit contains, respectively.

Ripe grapefruit will be heavy, and its specific aroma will be very pronounced.

How to choose grapefruit? Three parameters for an unmistakable choice:

1. pink fruit color
2. heavy weight,
3. strong aroma.

Scientists cannot say with certainty the real homeland of grapefruit. Some call it India, others call it Central America. But this fruit is also widespread in Japan, China, the Caucasus, and Mediterranean countries.

Do you know that the luminaries of science are at a loss as to the question of the origin of grapefruit. There is a theory that it was created spontaneously due to the crossing of a pomelo and an orange. But no one has been able to reproduce this process under artificial conditions.

Do you know that the botanist Hughes called the grapefruit a forbidden fruit and argued that it was responsible for the suffering of the first people. Adam and Eve were tempted by grapefruit, which is why they were expelled from paradise.

Fruit traders did not hear the sound of money in the words “forbidden fruit” and decided for advertising to call this citrus more sonorously: grapefruit.

Do you know that the grapefruits on our shelves are mainly imported from Cuba. In February, the harvest festival begins there (the center of the industrial grapefruit harvest - Juventud Island). For several days, cheerful Cubans organize festival performances in honor of the citrus harvest. At the end, a Grapefruit feast awaits everyone.

Do you know, What The secret of Sophia Loren's slender figure lies in her consumption of grapefruit. A few glasses of grapefruit juice throughout the day will magically bring your weight back to normal. It contains a lot of inositol - the best fat burner known to mankind.

Benefits of grapefruit

• Do you want to cope with apathy, doubts, depression? A few slices of grapefruit will help you. The aroma of grapefruit revives interest in life, gives cheerfulness and positive emotions, awakens a good mood, sharpens the feeling of fullness of life, memory, and attention.
• After physical or mental fatigue, you need to drink grapefruit juice: it tones and helps replenish energy. This juice is also useful during the recovery period, and is indispensable when a person falls ill.
• To sleep like a baby, just eat a grapefruit. Sleep will be continuous and sound. The fruit owes this property to its high content of vitamins PP and D.
• And half a grapefruit after a meal will burn half of the calories acquired during the meal.
• It almost does not cause allergies and has minimal calories: 1 kg of fruit contains only ninety calories.
• Grapefruit can reduce the activity of carcinogens in tobacco smoke.
• Reduces cholesterol levels, increases vascular elasticity, strengthens the immune system and nervous system.

Harm of grapefruit:

• People with stomach ulcers or hyperacidity should not eat grapefruit.
• This fruit is also harmful for women taking oral contraceptives.
• It is not advisable to consume grapefruit together with blood pressure-lowering medications.
• May enhance the absorption of certain medications, thereby causing an overdose (increasing the load on the liver and kidneys). The list of drugs incompatible with citrus is long: clarithromycin, warfarin, cortisol, theophylline, drugs with progesterone and estradiol, and others.
• Postmenopausal women have an increased risk of developing breast cancer.

In conclusion, we wish our readers to love grapefruits and include them in their diet. The benefits of this citrus far outweigh the harm, and its piquant taste and pleasant aroma will bring newness to life.

Grapefruit does not often appear on the menu of most Russians, which is completely in vain - it contains a large amount of vitamins and microelements, helps strengthen the immune system, improve digestion and lose weight. And the characteristic bitterness, which many people don’t like, is easily neutralized with proper cleaning and preparation of the fruit.

What is it and where does it grow?

Grapefruit is a citrus fruit, a hybrid (pomelo crossed with an orange). The fruits ripen on evergreen trees of the Rutaceae family. Ripe fruits are arranged on the branches in such a way that they resemble bunches of grapes. It was this fact that formed the basis for the name of the fruit, because in translation from English grapefruit means “grape fruit”.

The fruit was first discovered on the island of Barbados in 1750 and was called the “forbidden fruit.” China is considered the probable homeland of the fruit. Today, trees with these fruits are cultivated in many countries with a subtropical climate. The main importers of fruits are the USA, Georgia, Jamaica, India, Indonesia, and Brazil. In Russia, grapefruit is grown in the south.

Today, there are about 20 varieties of grapefruit, but this diversity can be reduced to three main groups - white, red and pink grapefruits. The weight of one fruit reaches 500-600 g, which is slightly larger than an orange. The diameter of the first usually reaches 40-45 cm. Grapefruit has an orange tint, which may be closer to yellow or red depending on the variety. The pulp is bright orange and juicy. The fruits have a familiar citrus aroma, which is so strong that it can be felt even through intact peel.

In general, these two citrus fruits are similar. True, grapefruit has a thicker skin, and its taste is more sour, with a characteristic bitterness. Grapefruit differs from pomelo in its lighter weight and brighter color of the peel and pulp. Pomelo usually has a more sour taste, but less bitterness.

The difference between sweetie and grapefruit is that the former has a much sweeter taste. This is not surprising, because the task of the breeders was precisely to obtain such a citrus fruit. Sweetie is the result of crossing a sweet variety of grapefruit and pomelo. In addition, sweetie does not have the bright color characteristic of grapefruit. Even in mature sweetie fruits, it remains pale greenish-yellow.

Fruit ripening is long, sometimes it takes 10-11 months. The trees begin to bloom in late May-early June.

Calories and nutritional value

Among fruits, grapefruit has a low calorie content, which is due to the high moisture content in the fruit (its volume reaches 90%). Nutritional value is 30-35 kcal per 100 g of fresh product. The BZHU balance is as follows - 0.7/0.1/6. Pink fruits contain slightly more carbohydrates and fewer protein compounds.

Pink varieties are the highest in calories, while white varieties have the fewest calories. However, the latter also contain less fiber.

A peeled fruit weighing 400 g contains about 120-140 kcal. Freshly squeezed juice contains from 30 to 38 kcal, depending on the degree of extraction, and zest contains 29 kcal per 100 g.

The glycemic index of the fruit is 25, which is not much. In this regard, the fruit is not prohibited for people suffering from diabetes and obesity. In addition, grapefruit is easily digested, carrying with it toxins and fatty compounds from the intestines.

Chemical composition

Grapefruit fully lives up to its title as a “vitamin bomb”. It can be called a champion in ascorbic acid content. It is enough to consume 100 g of fruit per day to meet the body’s daily need for vitamin C.

Ascorbic acid is a powerful antioxidant and has a strengthening and immunostimulating effect. In addition to vitamin C, the fruits contain vitamins B, P, A (retinol), as well as the provitamin beta-carotene (it provides the bright sunny color of the fruit).

Microelements are represented by calcium, iron, phosphorus, zinc, magnesium. The fruits also contain useful acids - folic, pantothenic, nicotinic.

A substance called naringin was found in the white film, which is why the fruit has a slight bitterness. The purpose of naringin is to improve intestinal motility; in addition, it provides a bactericidal effect. The beneficial effect of the fruit on the intestines is also explained by the presence of dietary fiber and fiber in the composition.

The sweetness of the fruit is provided by natural sugars. The composition also contains biologically active substances – phytocindes.

Benefit

The high content of vitamin C in the fruit in combination with others, as well as the presence of trace elements and acids, make grapefruit a powerful assistant in supporting the immune system. By stimulating and strengthening immune cells, these components help increase the body's resistance to viral and colds, and the negative effects of environmental factors. The pulp and juice of the fruit provide a tonic effect; they should be included in the diet of people experiencing increased physical, sports and intellectual stress. Consumption of fruits will also be useful during the period of colds and spring vitamin deficiency.

Dietary fiber and naringin improve intestinal activity, allowing food to be digested faster and better. This, in turn, helps prevent the feeling of heaviness and bloating. These same components accelerate metabolism, which, taking into account the low nutritional value of the fruit, makes it one of the recommended products for weight loss.

The acids contained in the composition help increase the acidity of gastric juice, so the fruit should be included in your diet for those who have a low level of acidity.

Grapefruit, thanks to the iron it contains, helps improve hematopoietic function and allows you to maintain hemoglobin within normal limits. This, in turn, indicates that organs and tissues receive sufficient oxygen. The components of the fruit fight cholesterol plaques, increasing the elasticity of blood vessels - excellent prevention of heart attacks and strokes.

Consuming grapefruit is also beneficial for the liver. It is believed that it protects the organ from cancer. The fruit ensures the removal of toxins and waste from the body, which means a reduction in the load on the liver.

The fruit copes with bleeding gums, and also removes skin pigmentation, freckles, prevents the appearance of fungi, and has an antibacterial effect. It is also recommended to be used for hypertension, as it lowers blood pressure.

The fruit is often called the fruit of beauty, which is completely justified. In addition to its low calorie content and the ability to speed up metabolism, which is actively used for weight loss, it contains antioxidants. The latter are natural components that slow down the aging process. Using the fruit internally and externally can improve the condition of the skin, hair and nails, slow down the appearance of wrinkles, and improve skin tone.

For cosmetic purposes, the juice of the fruit is usually used, which, when mixed with other components, allows you to whiten the skin, get rid of age spots, rashes and oily sheen. Grapefruit zest and juice are widely used in the fight against cellulite.

Providing a slight diuretic effect, the fruits help remove excess fluid from the body. For this reason, it is recommended to include them in your diet during menstruation.

During pregnancy, the fruit is not only not prohibited, but also allowed for consumption. A large number of vitamins and minerals strengthen the body of the mother and fetus, improve its resistance to viruses and bacteria.

This fruit is no less useful for men's health, since its regular consumption prevents the occurrence of prostate cancer. The lycopene contained in the composition protects against prostatitis.

Grapefruit juice has the same positive effects on the body as the fruit as a whole. It is not particularly sweet, but can significantly improve digestion processes. To do this, drink half a glass of juice 30 minutes before your meal. This will awaken your metabolism and prepare your digestive organs for processing food.

Grapefruit juice is indicated for insomnia, chronic fatigue, decreased immunity, and lack of sun.

The benefits of grapefruit are comparable to the beneficial properties of the pulp. An important point - not the whole peel is called zest, but only its top layer, up to the white film. The zest is rich in pectin, as well as B vitamins (primarily B 2.9), vitamins A and C, as well as essential oils. It is especially useful for strengthening the immune and nervous systems.

The fruit seeds also contain these vitamins, as well as flavonoids. The latter are considered a natural antibiotic and have antibacterial properties.

Harm

Consuming the fruit should be avoided if you have an individual intolerance or allergy to the fruit. Signs of allergies are skin rashes, cough, nausea, abdominal pain, diarrhea, rhinitis, suffocation. If at least one of these signs is detected, the victim should be given an antihistamine; if the injury is severe, call an ambulance.

Due to the high acid content, grapefruit should not be consumed if the acidity of gastric juice is also high. This will only make the situation worse. You should also avoid it if you have peptic ulcers, gastritis, or pancreatitis.

Grapefruit fruits have the ability to react with medications and neutralize them or, on the contrary, enhance the effect. As a result, the drug does not work or cases of overdose occur. Grapefruit neutralizes oral contraceptives, drugs prescribed for hypotension and some other medications. If this fruit regularly appears in your diet, you should find out how much it affects the particular drug you are taking.

Citrus fruits are the strongest allergens, so they should not be consumed in large quantities. An overabundance of grapefruit on the menu can cause itchy rashes on the skin, sore throat and cough, and abdominal pain.

Hypotensive patients should eat the fruit with caution, as it lowers blood pressure. If it is so low that you have to increase it with the help of medications, then grapefruit is contraindicated. Not only does it lower blood pressure in itself, but it also neutralizes the effect of drugs that increase blood pressure.

If there are cracks or ulcers in the mouth and around it, grapefruit will increase irritation, so it is better to avoid taking it until the skin and mucous membranes are completely healed.

How to choose?

The most delicious, sweet and most healthy are grapefruits with a red tint of pulp. Moreover, the darker it is, the sweeter the fruit will be. It has almost no seeds and is characterized by a strong aroma. The ripening season lasts from late July to early September. This is the best time to buy this variety.

White grapefruit has a pale yellow peel, it is quite thick and tastes sweet. The number of seeds is average, they are large. The pulp of such fruits contains less sugar, so the fruit of this variety is slightly more sour. It is actively included in the diet menu and is used for weight loss. One of the most famous white-fleshed grapefruits is Duncan.

It's easy to understand why the next grapefruit variety is called pink if you cut the fruit. You will see pink flesh. It is very sweet and not bitter. The peel of the fruit of this variety is dense, with characteristic red specks, and a strong citrus aroma. One of the popular varieties is “Flame”.

It is right to start choosing a fruit by assessing its aroma. Fresh and ripe, it emits a strong citrus aroma that can be felt even from a distance of several meters. If, even when you sniff specifically, you can barely discern a citrus aroma, you have a stale fruit in front of you.

Red spots on the peel are evidence of the sweetness of the fruit. The more there are, the higher the sugar content. The peel itself should be elastic, without dents or damage. The shade should be uniform over the entire surface. But dark spots and dents, especially at the base of the fruit, indicate that it is not fresh. The fruit itself should have a spherical or slightly flattened shape.

It is important to correlate the size and weight of the fetus. Ripe and fresh grapefruit is always heavy, even if it is small in size. If the fruit itself is large but quite light, this means that during long-term storage it has lost most of its moisture. This fruit is not the best option for purchase and consumption.

If you have the opportunity to evaluate the inside of the fruit, remember that bright pink and dark orange flesh and a small number of medium-sized seeds usually indicate sweetness of the pulp.

Storage rules

If stored improperly, the fruit will lose moisture and become dry and bitter. The optimal storage temperature is 2-7 degrees. The bottom shelves of the refrigerator are good for these purposes.

You should not buy fruit for future use, because even in the refrigerator it is stored for a little more than 10 days. In this case, it is better to first wrap the fruits in food paper to prevent active loss of moisture. It is important that the fruits do not touch.

The peeled fruit can be stored covered in the refrigerator for no more than 4 days. During the same period, you can store the fruit whole, without damaging the peel, at room conditions.

If the temperature allows, the balcony can also be used as a storage area for grapefruits. The shelf life in this case will be 7-10 days. It is important that the humidity level on the loggia is not high, and that direct sunlight does not fall on the fruits. They should also be stored wrapped in paper.

What can you cook?

Unlike orange and lemon zest, which is actively added to baked goods, grapefruit zest is used much less frequently for these purposes, due to its bitter taste. You can neutralize the bitterness by combining the fruits with honey or sugar.

Thanks to its sweet and sour taste with a slight bitterness, grapefruits are good in salads and when baking meat dishes. They are suitable for glazing meat and poultry, imparting their flavor to them, and protect the dish from drying out.

You can prepare the fruits for future use by making jam or jam from them. Freshly squeezed juice from the fruit is a real drink of vigor, beauty and health. True, it is better to dilute it with water before use. You can also make grapefruit lemonade, cocktails, smoothies, fresh juice and compote from the juice.

The fruit goes well with vegetables, fish, shrimp, and chicken. A successful combination of fruits with orange, peaches, pineapples, plums, pears, and currants. From fermented milk products - cottage cheese, yogurt without additives, curd cheese. Lemon juice, honey, nuts, mint, and rosemary can highlight the taste of grapefruit. True, there is an important nuance here - you need to completely remove the white films, otherwise the finished dish will be unpleasantly bitter.

The combination with starch-containing foods - potatoes, legumes, cereals, pasta - is not the most successful. Moreover, such combinations are difficult to digest and cause stomach problems.

Before we begin describing the most interesting proven recipes, let’s focus on methods for cleaning fruits. To peel the fruit, you need to place it on a cutting board and, holding it with one hand, cut off the top part of the peel with a knife. The cut should be deep enough to expose the flesh without damaging it.

Now you should pull the peel down and slightly to the side, peeling it off and trying to damage the pulp as little as possible. The next step is to cut off the layer of white film with a knife.

All that remains is to extract the slices from the white film, for which the slice is cut along the film and the pulp is carefully removed from it. As a result of such manipulations, the same slice should remain, but without the white film. In the same way, you should get all the slices.

Next, they should be placed in a deep plate and, squeezing the remaining pulp with pieces of pulp on it into a fist, squeeze the juice out of it, pouring it over the grapefruit pulp. You can eat grapefruit in this form, and if you close the container with a lid and put it in the refrigerator, you can store it for up to 4 days.

You can also use a special spoon and fruit knife that have serrations at the end. The fruit is cut in half, after which you can scoop out the pulp with a spoon, being careful not to stick the device into the area of ​​the white films. In a similar way, the fruit is served and eaten in restaurants and guests.

Another easy way to get grapefruit pulp is to cut it in half and then into slices. Now you need to cut off the white film and cut off the peel layer.

Grapefruit zest is also used in cooking. You need to remove it with a fine grater, without touching the white film. You can add zest to tea and baked goods.

As is known, vitamins and some microelements are partially or completely destroyed during heat treatment. You can fully preserve the benefits of the fruit without exposing it to heat above 45-50 degrees.

Shrimp salad

Grapefruit goes well with seafood, giving fairly bland-tasting white fish, shrimp and crabs a special piquancy. This salad is suitable for those who play sports and watch their figure. Protein-rich shrimp will allow you to build muscle mass, grapefruit will start your metabolism and provide the body with essential vitamins for life.

Preparation:

• 400 g of peeled fresh frozen shrimp (unpeeled shrimp will also work, but in this case they will need to be peeled and blanched in boiling water for a couple of minutes);
• 8 slices of toast bread;
• 1 grapefruit weighing 400-450 g;
• 100 g breadcrumbs;
• a bunch of lettuce;
• dried garlic on the tip of a knife;
• 50 g hard cheese;
• 1 tomato;
• 100 g sour cream;
• a teaspoon of mustard;
• 1 lemon;
• salt, pepper - to taste.

This recipe involves using baked shrimp in batter. To do this, beat an egg and add dried garlic to it. Dip the shrimp in the egg mixture, then roll in breadcrumbs and place on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Bake in the oven for 7-10 minutes at 200 degrees.

At this time, you can peel the grapefruit and cut the resulting slices into 2-3 pieces. It is also better to prepare the dressing in advance so that its components turn into a single mass. For dressing, mix sour cream and mustard, squeeze in 1-2 teaspoons of lemon juice. Mix everything thoroughly.

All that remains is to assemble the salad. Place lettuce leaves washed and dried with a paper towel as the first layer, then add shrimp and tomatoes, cut into cubes or thin slices, in random order. Next, lay out the grapefruit slices and sprinkle the salad with grated cheese. Top the dish with dressing.

If breaded shrimp seem too high in calories, you can use regular boiled shrimp, adding a couple of black peppercorns and bay leaves to the cooking water. Sweet red pickled onions, cut into rings or half rings, will also be harmonious in this dish.

Paired with chicken

Rinse the fillet under cool running water and boil until tender, adding salt to taste. You can also add bay leaf and pepper to the cooking water. Disassemble the boiled chicken into fibers.

Peel the grapefruit, remove the pulp, cut into pieces if necessary. Remove the seeds from the chili pepper and chop finely.

Place salad on the bottom of the plate. Its leaves can be left whole or torn into large fragments by hand. Then add a mixture of chicken, chili and grapefruit (it is better to first mix these ingredients in another bowl and add salt to taste).

As a dressing, use lime juice (1-2 teaspoons) mixed with soy sauce. Sprinkle chopped nuts or pomegranate seeds on top of the salad and garnish with mint leaves.

Fruit dessert

A light fruit salad will be an excellent second breakfast or afternoon snack, serve as dessert, and in the summer heat, when appetite decreases, even replace dinner. Many fruit salads have a cloying taste, but adding grapefruit will help offset the excessive sweetness.

To prepare it you need:

• 1 orange and 1 grapefruit each;
• 50 g canned pineapples;
• 50 g strawberries;
• 1-2 bananas;
• mint sprig;
• 30 ml mint syrup.

Wash fruits and berries, remove peels, films, and stalks. Cut oranges and grapefruit into pieces, strawberries into halves. If the pineapples are ring-shaped, they need to be cut into cubes.

Mix all ingredients. For dressing, use mint syrup and juice from canned pineapples, taken in equal quantities. Garnish the dish with a sprig of mint. If you don't have mint syrup on hand, you can use lemon or grapefruit juice.

It is better to serve the salad in bowls or wide glasses with a stem. You can make the serving original by filling half of the peel (they must be whole, intact) with citrus salad.

Grapefruit smoothie

This drink will wonderfully quench the feeling of hunger, start metabolic processes in the body and give vigor. It is great for hot summer days as it cools and quenches your thirst. The recipe is extremely simple, so we will do without a separate list of products.

So, you need to take the cooled fruit (previously keep it in the refrigerator for a couple of hours) and extract the pulp without the skin in any convenient way. The integrity of the pulp and its attractiveness are not important in this recipe, so it can be removed very quickly.

Place the pulp in a blender bowl, turn it into a puree, add 100-150 ml of mineral water (with or without sparkling water - as you prefer), and a sprig of mint. Pour the drink into a tall glass, first adding 2-3 ice cubes.

Marmalade

Even the presence of sugar does not take away the benefits of grapefruit juice marmalade. Definitely, when prepared at home, it is much safer than store-bought analogues of this dessert; it can be given to children without fear.

To make the dessert you need:

• 2 oranges;
• 1 large grapefruit;
• 100 g sugar;
• a teaspoon of agar-agar.

The fruits need to be washed and peeled, divided into slices without pulp, and then squeezed out the juice. This recipe requires 200 ml of juice. You can experiment with the ratio of orange and grapefruit juice or take them in equal quantities.

Pour the juice into a saucepan and add sugar there. Over low heat until the sugar dissolves, this usually takes about 10 minutes. Then add agar-agar and, stirring continuously, bring the mixture to a boil. Remove it from the heat when the first bubbles appear, indicating the composition is boiling.

After this, the mixture needs to be cooled slightly and poured into silicone molds. Place the latter in the freezer for 15-30 minutes to harden. After the specified time, remove, roll in sugar or powdered sugar and serve. Store marmalade in a craft bag for no more than 5-7 days in the refrigerator.

Baked

The fruit prepared according to this recipe loses its bitterness and sour notes, turning into an exquisite and aromatic dessert.

Ingredients:

• 1 grapefruit;
• 4 tablespoons brown sugar;
• teaspoon of cinnamon.

Cut the grapefruit in half and carefully remove the pulp. It is better to do this with a special spoon, being careful not to damage the slices. After this, separate the white films from the slices, and use a spoon to scoop them out of the resulting “vase” - the empty half of the peel.

The slices need to be put back into the peel, sprinkled with a mixture of sugar and cinnamon on top and baked, first wrapped in foil. The temperature in the oven must be maintained within 75-80 degrees. Baking time – hour.

You can stick star anise or cloves into the pulp and remove them before serving.

Non-alcoholic Margarita

The well-known Margarita cocktail will sparkle with new flavors if you add grapefruit juice to it. In addition to these ingredients, you will also need special cocktail glasses. They have a conical shape and a long stem.

You need to prepare:

• 1 lime;
• 100 ml grapefruit juice;
• 2 tablespoons sugar;
• 6 teaspoons pomegranate syrup;
• ice cubes.

Sugar needs to be ground in a coffee grinder into powder. You can use ready-made powder. It will be needed to create a beautiful “snow rim” on the edges of the glass.

To do this, you need to cut a lime and wipe the top of the glass with half of it. After this, immediately lower the bowl into the powdered sugar and swirl it several times. As a result, a white “rim” will appear around the edges. Shake off excess sugar.

Place 2-3 teaspoons of pomegranate syrup at the bottom of the glass. Grapefruit juice, remaining syrup and ice should be mixed in a shaker and carefully poured into a glass so as not to mix with the syrup at the bottom. You can use a slice of grapefruit or lime for decoration.

Candied fruit

Another sweet from the “quick, tasty, healthy” section is candied grapefruit. The number of ingredients is minimal; the cooking process will seem simple even to novice home cooks.

You will need 2 grapefruits and a glass of sugar. Peel the fruit and separate the white film, and this should be done not from the pulp, but from the peel. It is she who found application in this recipe, but the pulp can be eaten with a clear conscience.

The peel should be cut into strips half a centimeter wide, filled with cold water and left for a day. During this time, you should change the water 5-6 times. This soaking will remove bitterness from the raw materials.

Now the peel strips need to be covered with sugar and weighed. The resulting number is the volume of water that will be required. Add water to the sugar-fruit mixture and place on low heat, stirring occasionally. The cook’s task is to evaporate all the water without allowing the sugar and crusts to burn.

After this, the candied fruits can be placed on a baking sheet or tray lined with baking paper and left overnight or a little longer for final drying. Evidence of readiness will be the absence of moisture when pressing on the candied fruits. Roll the finished sweets in powdered sugar. Store in a sealed tin box or paper bag in a kitchen cabinet.

For more information about the features of grapefruit, watch the following video.

Grapefruit (English) grape And fruit- grapes and fruit) is a citrus yellow-orange fruit that grows in subtropical climatic latitudes.

Grapefruit grows on an evergreen tree of the same name, reaching a height of 13-15 m. The ripe fruit is no more than 15 cm in diameter. In terms of external features, grapefruit is most similar to an orange, but its pulp is more sour, and the internal white veins are bitter. Many scientists believe that grapefruit appeared in India as a result of natural hybridization of pomelo and orange. New varieties of citrus fruits were developed artificially based on grapefruit: Mineola and Tangelo. The ripening period of grapefruit is 9-12 months and the main harvest occurs at the beginning of February.

There are 20 varieties of grapefruit. They differ in skin color from bright yellow to light red and flesh color from yellow to red. It is believed that the redder the peel, the sweeter the flesh.

In 1650, grapefruit was first discovered in Barbados. The fruit received its first name in 1750 by Griffiths Hughes, who called it “forbidden fruit.” However, in 1814, Jamaican traders renamed the fruit to the familiar “grapefruit”. The popularity and volume of its consumption grew so quickly that since 1880, grapefruit began to be grown on an industrial scale in the United States, mainly for export. The largest grapefruit plantations are in Texas and Florida. For supplies to European countries, the fruits are grown in Israel and Cyprus.

Use in cooking

Grapefruit is used to make juices, alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktails, fruit salads, and jam. The juice is used for savory sauces and marinades. Essential oils are also industrially obtained from the peel of the fruit, which are subsequently used for the production of colognes, perfumes, creams, shampoos, conditioners, balms, as well as confectionery syrups and extracts for alcoholic beverages. However, most often grapefruit is consumed raw, scraping out the pulp with a teaspoon. To do this, the fruit is cut in half across the slices. You can also peel it like an orange, and then free each of the segments from the white membranes.

Calorie content of grapefruit

This is a low-calorie and dietary product, 100 g of which contains only 32 kcal. The calorie content of canned grapefruit is 37 kcal, and grapefruit juice contains only 30 kcal per 100 g. This product can be consumed by anyone without worrying about their own weight.

Nutritional value per 100 grams:

Beneficial properties of grapefruit

Composition and presence of nutrients

The composition of grapefruit pulp includes a large number of useful substances, including vitamins (, PP, , , B1, , B9), minerals (potassium, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, sodium, iodine, iron, cobalt, copper, manganese, zinc, fluorine ), antioxidants, fiber and carotenoids.

Useful and healing properties

Grapefruit is considered a dietary product that helps fight extra pounds. This is due to the presence of substances in its composition that can break down and remove cholesterol, speed up metabolism and reduce sugar levels. To normalize cholesterol levels in the blood and to reduce insulin intake in diabetes, nutritionists recommend eating at least one grapefruit per day. This fruit is also the basis of the grapefruit diet, according to which, to speed up digestion, you need to eat half a grapefruit or drink 100 g of freshly squeezed grapefruit juice 15-20 minutes before each meal.

For people suffering from gastrointestinal diseases associated with low acidity of gastric juice, doctors recommend drinking 200-250 g of grapefruit juice. For older people, eating grapefruit helps lower blood pressure and fight signs of atherosclerosis. In addition, grapefruit substances have a positive effect on the activity of the nervous system, helping to normalize sleep and reduce headaches.

Use in cosmetology

Grapefruit is also used in cosmetology to prepare whitening and cleansing masks. To whiten the skin, get rid of freckles and age spots, you need gauze, folded in several layers, moistened in grapefruit juice and applied to the face until completely dry. For severe pigmentation, you need to repeat this mask every other day for two weeks, only after that the result will be visible.

Grapefruit essential oil has a calming and relaxing effect, so it can be added to a hot bath or aroma lamp after a hard day at work.

Dangerous properties of grapefruit

Some substances in grapefruit can inhibit the effect of medications, in particular birth control pills, so if you are systematically taking any medications, you should consult your doctor about their compatibility with grapefruit. Also, grapefruit juice, on the contrary, can enhance the effect of drugs, increasing their concentration in the blood, which can lead to side effects associated with an overdose.

Excessive consumption of grapefruit can negatively affect the activity of the liver, inhibiting its work and, consequently, the removal of harmful substances from the body. Also, this fruit should not be included in the diet of people with gastrointestinal diseases associated with high levels of acidity, hepatitis, nephritis, or allergies to citrus fruits.

The program is about the benefits and harms of grapefruit, as well as whether it is possible to lose weight with its help and how this fruit affects taking medications. How it affects teeth and whether it really breaks down fats, as well as much more in our educational video.

Grapefruit gained wide popularity in the 19th century, although these evergreen citrus trees were first discovered on the island of Barbados back in 1750. The large-fruited fruit immediately went down in history as a cultivated fruit, since nothing similar was found in the wild. Scientists have concluded that its appearance was facilitated by the natural process of hybridization between pomelo and. How grapefruit grows can be guessed from its name, since in English it means “grape fruit.”

grapefruit tree

It is very difficult for anyone who has bought grapefruits more than once to imagine a bunch of grapes with at least 2-3 fruits, reaching a weight of 500 g. But, nevertheless, massive grapefruit fruits grow like this: in a heap, 5-7 pieces each, but it happens and twice as much.

The grapefruit tree is the tallest of all citrus varieties. It reaches an average height of 5-7 meters. Some varieties can even grow up to 12 meters. The wood is quite elastic and durable, with a smooth grey-brown bark. Therefore, the branches are able to hold a number of weighty fruits.

The oval large leaves of grapefruit reach 15-17 cm in length. They form a thick spreading crown, which is shaped like an ellipse or a ball. During the flowering period, you can observe an amazing, breathtaking picture. The tree is covered with large, up to 5 cm in diameter, white flowers with a fragrant aroma. This advantage allowed grapefruit to be only an ornamental plant for a long time.

As a result of modern selection, up to 20 varieties of grapefruit have been created, which differ in ripening time, peel color and pulp. The latter can be very light (almost white or yellowish), pink or bright red. The redder the grapefruit pulp, the sweeter it is.

Under what conditions does grapefruit grow?

Grapefruit is a heat-loving plant, so it prefers a subtropical climate, like all its relatives. In our country, this is the Black Sea coast; in America, grapefruit is grown in Florida and Texas. Naturally, large plantations in its homeland - India; Cyprus, Israel, Brazil, and China are puzzled by the supply of grapefruit to European countries.

The plant is demanding of sunlight and soil fertility. It is necessary to ensure a sufficient content of organic matter and mineral salts. If all necessary conditions are met, grapefruit begins to bear fruit in 4-5 years. The fruits grow and ripen for quite a long time: from 9 to 12 months and are not harvested at the same time. In regions where ripening begins in September, grapefruit is harvested until April. In some areas, harvest ripening occurs in February. Thus, on the island of Juventud (Cuba), a real holiday is organized in February in honor of the ripening of grapefruit, which lasts several days and ends with a feast.

IPNI TPLtro-50119435

The first to tell the world about grapefruit was the Welsh botanist-priest Griffiths Hughes in 1750. He called the fruit "forbidden fruit." Later, grapefruit began to be called “little sheddock” because of its resemblance to pomelo, which was then called sheddock (after the name of the English captain Shaddock, who brought it to the island of Barbados in the 17th century), and in 1814, traders in Jamaica renamed the fruit grapefruit. It is an accidental hybrid of a pomelo and an orange. After 1880, rapid growth in industrial production of this crop began in the United States, then in the Caribbean, Brazil, Israel and South Africa). In the 20th century, grapefruit took a leading place in the world fruit market.

Externally, grapefruit fruits are similar to orange fruits, but their pulp is sour and has a bitter taste. Despite this, in encyclopedias they are classified as dietary fruits. Subsequently, based on grapefruit, breeders created tangelo (a hybrid Citrus paradisi x Citrus reticulata, 1905) and mineola (a variety of tangelo, a derivative of mandarin variety Dancy and grapefruit variety Duncan, 1931).

The average time it takes for fruits to ripen is approximately 9-12 months.

On February 2, in countries where grapefruits are grown, the “Grapefruit Harvest Festival” begins, which lasts several days.

Name

Health effects

Fresh pink grapefruit Nutritional value per 100 g of product
Energy value 39 kcal 163 kJ
Water 86-89 g Squirrels 0.5 g Fats 0.1 g - monounsaturated 0,013 - polyunsaturated 0,024 Carbohydrates 9.2 g Riboflavin ( B 2) 0.02 mg Ascorbic acid (Vit. WITH) 44 mg Calcium 9 mg Iron 0.2 mg Magnesium 12 mg Phosphorus 15 mg Potassium 162 mg Sodium 1 mg Zinc 0.05 mg
USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference Source:

Some substances contained in grapefruit actively interact with certain medications. This is especially true for the naringenin and bergamottin it contains, which inhibit one of the isoforms of cytochrome P450 (CYP3A4) in the liver. Therefore, it makes sense to inquire about the possible effects of grapefruit components on the body while taking medications. In general, it is not recommended to take grapefruit juice with medications, as it increases the level of the active substance in the bloodstream and thereby causes an overdose effect.

Use

Before eating, it is recommended to cut the grapefruit with a sharp knife (there is also a special knife for this purpose). The core in each half with part of the adjacent films is removed. Granulated sugar is placed in the formed depression. The sweet juice that gradually forms is extracted with a teaspoon. If sugar is replaced with fructose, xylitol, honey, then grapefruit juice can be included in some strict diets with the knowledge of a doctor. There is an easier way to get rid of the bitterness of the grapefruit fruit - remove the translucent leathery film covering each segment of the fruit, in which quinic acid and bitter glycosides are mainly concentrated.

Production volume

Grapefruit production in countries of the world per year in thousand tons
PRC PRC	3 900
USA USA	942
Mexico Mexico	402
South Africa South Africa	400
Israel Israel	185
European Union European Union	130

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Notes

Literature

• Walton B. Sinclair The grapefruit: its composition, physiology, and products // University of California, Division of Agricultural Sciences, 1972 (English)

Links

• Grapefruit // Great Soviet Encyclopedia: [in 30 volumes] / ch. ed. A. M. Prokhorov. - 3rd ed. - M. : Soviet encyclopedia, 1969-1978. (Retrieved September 22, 2013)
• //Drugs.com

Excerpt characterizing Grapefruit

The prince bowed his head and walked up to the porch. “Thank you, Lord,” thought the manager, “a cloud has passed!”
“It was difficult to get through, your Excellency,” added the manager. - How did you hear, your Excellency, that the minister will come to your Excellency?
The prince turned to the manager and stared at him with frowning eyes.
- What? Minister? Which minister? Who ordered? – he spoke in his shrill, harsh voice. “They didn’t clear it for the princess, my daughter, but for the minister!” I have no ministers!
- Your Excellency, I thought...
- You thought! - the prince shouted, pronouncing the words more and more hastily and incoherently. – You thought... Robbers! scoundrels! “I will teach you to believe,” and, raising a stick, he swung it at Alpatych and would have hit him if the manager had not involuntarily deviated from the blow. - I thought so! Scoundrels! – he shouted hastily. But, despite the fact that Alpatych, himself frightened by his audacity to evade the blow, approached the prince, obediently lowering his bald head in front of him, or maybe that’s why the prince continued to shout: “scoundrels! throw up the road! He didn’t pick up his stick another time and ran into the rooms.
Before dinner, the princess and M lle Bourienne, who knew that the prince was not in a good mood, stood waiting for him: M lle Bourienne with a beaming face that said: “I don’t know anything, I’m the same as always,” and Princess Marya - pale, frightened, with downcast eyes. The hardest thing for Princess Marya was that she knew that in these cases she had to act like m lle Bourime, but she could not do it. It seemed to her: “If I act as if I don’t notice, he will think that I have no sympathy for him; I’ll make it look like I’m boring and out of sorts, he’ll say (as it happened) that I’m hanging my nose,” etc.
The prince looked at his daughter's frightened face and snorted.
“Dr... or stupid!...” he said.
“And that one is gone! They were already gossiping about her too,” he thought about the little princess, who was not in the dining room.
-Where is the princess? – he asked. - Hiding?...
“She’s not entirely healthy,” said Mlle Bourienne, smiling cheerfully, “she won’t come out.” This is so understandable in her situation.
- Hm! hmm! ugh! ugh! - said the prince and sat down at the table.
The plate did not seem clean to him; he pointed to the spot and threw it. Tikhon picked it up and handed it to the barman. The little princess was not unwell; but she was so insurmountably afraid of the prince that, having heard how out of sorts he was, she decided not to go out.
“I’m afraid for the child,” she said to m lle Bourienne, “God knows what can happen from fright.”
In general, the little princess lived in Bald Mountains constantly under a feeling of fear and antipathy towards the old prince, which she was not aware of, because fear was so dominant that she could not feel it. There was also antipathy on the part of the prince, but it was drowned out by contempt. The princess, having settled down in Bald Mountains, especially fell in love with m lle Bourienne, spent her days with her, asked her to spend the night with her, and often talked to her about her father-in-law and judged him.
“Il nous arrive du monde, mon prince, [Guests are coming to us, prince.],” said M lle Bourienne, unfolding a white napkin with her pink hands. “Son excellence le prince Kouraguine avec son fils, a ce que j"ai entendu dire? [His Excellency Prince Kuragin with his son, how much have I heard?],” she said questioningly.
“Hm... this boy of excellence... I assigned him to the college,” the prince said offended. “Why son, I can’t understand.” Princess Lizaveta Karlovna and Princess Marya may know; I don’t know why he’s bringing this son here. I don't need it. – And he looked at his blushing daughter.
- Unwell, or what? Out of fear of the minister, as that idiot Alpatych said today.
- No, mon pere. [father.]
No matter how unsuccessfully M lle Bourienne found herself on the subject of conversation, she did not stop and chatted about greenhouses, about the beauty of a new blossoming flower, and the prince softened after the soup.
After dinner he went to his daughter-in-law. The little princess sat at a small table and chatted with Masha, the maid. She turned pale when she saw her father-in-law.
The little princess has changed a lot. She was more bad than good now. The cheeks sank, the lip rose upward, the eyes were drawn downwards.
“Yes, it’s some kind of heaviness,” she answered when the prince asked what she felt.
- Do you need anything?
- No, merci, mon pere. [Thank you, father.]
- Well, okay, okay.
He went out and walked to the waitress. Alpatych stood in the waiter's room with his head bowed.
– Is the road blocked?
- Zakidana, your Excellency; Forgive me, for God's sake, for one stupid thing.
The prince interrupted him and laughed his unnatural laugh.
- Well, okay, okay.
He extended his hand, which Alpatych kissed, and walked into the office.
In the evening Prince Vasily arrived. He was met at the prespekt (that's the name of the avenue) by coachmen and waiters, who shouted and drove his carts and sleighs to the outbuilding along a road deliberately covered with snow.
Prince Vasily and Anatoly were given separate rooms.
Anatole sat, having taken off his doublet and resting his hands on his hips, in front of the table, at the corner of which he, smiling, fixed his beautiful large eyes intently and absent-mindedly. He looked upon his entire life as a continuous amusement that someone like that for some reason undertook to arrange for him. Now he looked at his trip to the evil old man and the rich ugly heiress in the same way. All this could have turned out, he supposed, very well and funny. Why not marry if she is very rich? It never interferes, thought Anatole.
He shaved, perfumed himself with care and panache, which had become his habit, and with his innate good-natured, victorious expression, holding his handsome head high, he entered his father’s room. Two valets were busy around Prince Vasily, dressing him; he himself looked around animatedly and nodded cheerfully to his son as he entered, as if he were saying: “So, that’s exactly what I need you for!”
- No, no joke, father, is she very ugly? A? – he asked, as if continuing a conversation he had had more than once during the trip.
- That's enough. Nonsense! The main thing is to try to be respectful and reasonable with the old prince.
“If he scolds, I’ll leave,” said Anatole. “I can’t stand these old people.” A?
– Remember that everything depends on this for you.
At this time, the arrival of the minister with his son was not only known in the maiden's room, but the appearance of both of them was already described in detail. Princess Marya sat alone in her room and tried in vain to overcome her inner agitation.
“Why did they write, why did Lisa tell me about this? After all, this cannot be! - she said to herself, looking in the mirror. - How do I get out into the living room? Even if I liked him, I couldn’t be on my own with him now.” The thought of her father's gaze terrified her.
The little princess and m lle Bourienne had already received all the necessary information from the maid Masha about what a ruddy, black-browed handsome minister’s son was, and about how daddy dragged them with force to the stairs, and he, like an eagle, walking three steps at a time, ran after him. Having received this information, the little princess and M lle Bourienne, still audible from the corridor in their animated voices, entered the princess’s room.
– Ils sont arrives, Marieie, [They arrived, Marie,] do you know? - said the little princess, wobbling her belly and sitting heavily on the chair.
She was no longer in the blouse in which she had sat in the morning, but she was wearing one of her best dresses; her head was carefully decorated, and there was a liveliness on her face, which, however, did not hide the drooping and dead outlines of her face. In the attire in which she usually wore to social gatherings in St. Petersburg, it was even more noticeable how much she had looked worse. M lle Bourienne also unnoticed some improvement in her outfit, which made her pretty, fresh face even more attractive.
– Eh bien, et vous restez comme vous etes, chere princesse? – she spoke. – On va venir annoncer, que ces messieurs sont au salon; il faudra descendre, et vous ne faites pas un petit brin de toilette! [Well, are you still wearing what you were wearing, princess? Now they will come to say that they are out. We’ll have to go downstairs, but at least you’ll dress up a little!]