Freezing Grapefruits || How To Freeze Grapefruits

There’s nothing like the tangy goodness of a ripe grapefruit at it’s peak season. And, believe it or not, one of the easiest ways to preserve that deliciousness for later use is to freeze them during this time.

Freezing grapefruits is among the often overlooked storage methods for this incredibly tasty fruit. Yet, it is probably the simplest way to go. And simple is always good.

I’m going to share the best practices for freezing grapefruits with you in this post. It doesn’t take a long time to do. It’s quick and easy and it can be done in just a few minutes.

I’ll go over the best way to freeze grapefruit sections and the best way to freeze grapefruit juice with you. By the time you reach the end of this post, you’ll be a pro at using this commonly overlooked method to store this nutritious fruit.

What Is Grapefruit?

Grapefruit is a citrus fruit that has a marked sour flavor. It is a hybrid cross between sweet orange and pomelo fruits. And it comes in various sizes and colors.

It’s flavor is best described as tart, tangy, and refreshing. And it provides all of the health benefits that are derived from vitamin C, fiber, and antioxidants.

Grapefruit is reknown as a breakfast staple. Yet, it is so much more than that. It is a great addition to snacks, meals, and beverages as well.

Reasons To Freeze Grapefruit

For me, the primary reason to freeze grapefruit is to capture it’s optimal freshness at it’s peak. There is generally a surplus of grapefruit available during the winter months, as this is when it ripens.

And I like to take advantage of that fresh fruit flavor, when I have a few minutes, to turn it into frozen fruit goodness. It can be done in just a few simple steps. So, it only makes sense to get it done.

Another good reason to freeze grapefruits is to reduce food waste in the kitchen. When you find yourself with a few beautiful, perfect grapefruits sitting on the counter, that you know you’re not going to get around to eating before they go bad, this preservation method is just the ticket to keep them from landing in the garbage.

And the final reason that I am aware of to freeze this amazing fruit is that it is then on hand in the kitchen for all of your favorite recipes and beverages. And it can be portioned perfectly for this purpose when you freeze it. So, it’s a win-win all the way around.

Put some of the versatile goodness of fresh grapefruit in your freezer and enjoy it in the summer when it’s not as readily available. Besides, the summer is when grapefruit tastes best, right?!?!

How To Freeze Grapefruit Segments

Freezing whole grapefruit isn’t advised. If you freeze the whole fruit it will be difficult to work with when it thaws. And, more importantly, the peel and the pith will impart a bitter taste to the flesh of the fruit, creating an undesirable flavor.

To get the best taste from frozen grapefruit remove the citrus peels, the white pith, and as many of the seeds as you can before you freeze it.

After the fruit has been properly ‘undressed’ in this manner, you can either slice it or separate it into segments for freezing. If you choose to freeze cut grapefruit, use a sharp knife. This will prevent the flesh from smooshing when you’re cutting the slices of grapefruit.

I recommend freezing grapefruit segments, because when you slice the fruit before freezing it you lose a lot of the juice it contains. This reduces the quality of the fruit.

Grapefruit slices and segments are both frozen in the same way. Simply lay them out, in a single layer, on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and place it in the freezer. Once they are completely frozen, transfer them to a freezer-safe container and return them to the freezer for storage.

How To Juice Grapefruit For Freezing

To juice this fruit you will need to prepare it in the same manner as you would to freeze it in slices or segments; remove the citrus peels, the white pith, and the seeds from the whole fruit.

Once that has been done, turning grapefruits into delicious citrus juice can be accomplished in several different ways. 

If you have a juicer, that is sort of a no-brainer right?!?! Run the grapefruit through the juicer and you’ve got … well … grapefruit juice.

You can use an old fashioned hand powered juicer for this task as well. However, if you have a large quantity of grapefruits to juice, this may not be the best option.

It will take quite a bit of time, and it may be a little hard on the hands. I don’t have a juicer, and I opt out of using my hand powered juicer for this task. 

I find that running the fruit through my food processor and then straining the juice from the pulp works wonderfully.

I tend to reach for my mesh strainer, place it over a jar (or a bowl if I am working with a large quantity), and use it to strain the juice from the pulp. 

It’s a simple set up that works well for me. But when I want to get the most bang for my buck, as they say, I use a flour sack towel to strain my grapefruit puree.

Just place a clean flour sack over a bowl and pour the pureed mixture into that. Lift the flour sack out of the bowl, and allow the grapefruit juice to drain from it into the bowl.

Once the majority of the juice has drained into the bowl, twist the top of the flour sack, and tie it with a string. Then fasten the string to one of your kitchen cupboard handles, with the bowl underneath the sack, and let it drain completely.

You can squeeze it by hand, after it’s twisted, to manually remove the juice. But, I like to let gravity do the work for me.

Any one of these methods will work to make a batch of ‘squeezed grapefruit juice’ from a bunch of grapefruits.

How To Freeze Grapefruit Juice

Grapfruit juice can be placed in any airtight container and put in the freezer to preserve it for future use. And even a few cups of grapefruit juice are well worth the minimal effort it takes to do just that.

Freeze the juice in portions that you are likely to use. Otherwise, once you thaw it out, you’ll just find yourself with more than you need. 

I find it particularly helpful to freeze it in ice cube trays, and then transfer the cubes to freezer containers and keep them that way.

Then it is easy enough to pull out a few cubes to use when I need them in the kitchen. But, if you plan to drink the juice as a beverage after you thaw it, you may want to freeze it in larger portions.

How To Use Frozen Grapefruit

Frozen grapefruit segments make a really great, refreshing treat on a hot summer day. That is how I use them most often.

They can be added to the pan when you’re cooking seafood, pork, or chicken. You can even toss them in with vegetables when you roast or saute them.

If you find yourself wanting to enjoy the refreshing flavor of a jar full of grapefruit jam, and you are inclined to whip up a batch, you can thaw out some grapefruit segments and turn them into a really tasty, refreshing, spreadable goodness in no time at all. So darn good!

They work well in sorbets and nice cream too. Having them in the kitchen will allow you to add a refreshing twist to a lot of different dishes.

So, go ahead and let your imagination run wild. Brighten up all the dishes with tangy grapefruit.

Just keep one thing in mind, thawed grapefruit will not have the same texture as fresh grapefruit. For best results, use frozen grapefruit segments in dishes where it will be cooked or pureed.

In other words, you won’t be making a fruit salad with your thawed grapefruit segments.

I prefer to have my grapefruit frozen in the form of a fruit ice cube. I find that it is much more versatile in this form.

You can still use it to brighten up your seafood, chicken, pork, and vegetable dishes. Just add it to them the same way you would the segments. 

And it can also be used for jam, sorbets, and nice cream too. The great thing, about using the juice instead of the segments, is that you don’t have to concern yourself with the less desirable texture that is present in frozen segments.

It can be added to smoothies, cocktails, and other beverages. Heck, it can even be used as the ice cubes for a beverage.

Frozen grapefruit juice makes a pretty mean dessert too. If a dessert recipe calls for lemon or lime, consider using grapefruit in it’s place. You won’t be sorry. Promise!

But, my very favorite way to use up those tasty little frozen cubes is in salad dressing. I love to make my own salad dressing.

There is no comparison between homemade dressings and store bought. Homemade is exponentially better, EVERY TIME!

And a grapefruit vinaigrette has a tangy flavor that is a really good thing. Who doesn’t want a bit of the delicious flavor of fresh grapefruit dressing up their summer garden salad?!?!

I know I want exactly that on a hot summer day.

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