How to Prepare Grapefruit for Serving

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Last Updated: October 8, 2022 References Tested

Grapefruit is a delicious and refreshing fruit that can be enjoyed in many ways. It can be a great snack during summertime and a delicious appetizer to have out for gatherings or cook outs. You can use a number of different methods to prepare grapefruit. There are several ways you can cut up the fruit, but you can also broil grapefruit or make grapefruit juice to enjoy it in different forms.

Method 1

Method 1 of 6:

Preparing Grapefruit Halves

1
Cut the grapefruit horizontally at its center. Take a large, sharp knife and cut the grapefruit horizontally into two halves.^{[1]
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- If you are unsure where the top and bottom of the grapefruit are, find the two dots, or navels, on the grapefruit at opposite ends. These are the top and bottom of the grapefruit.
- Think of these dots as the “poles” of the grapefruit, like the poles of the earth. Turn the grapefruit on its side and cut where the equator line would be, through the center of the grapefruit.
2
Cut along the rim of the grapefruit. Cut along the line of the grapefruit where the skin and the sectioned flesh of the grapefruit meet. Use a small, serrated knife to cut along this circle. Try to keep as close to the skin as possible so you are not cutting away any of the fruit.^{[2]
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3
Cut around the grapefruit wedges. Take the serrated knife and cut in diagonals around each wedged section of the grapefruit. Essentially you are freeing the fruit of from the skin and the membrane of the grapefruit. ^{[3]
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4
Cut out the membrane if desired. You can stop here if you wish. However, some like to use a scissors or knife to cut out the membrane around the fruit of the grapefruit.
- This is fairly work-intensive, and you will probably lose a little bit of the fruit as you are cutting out the membrane.
- Many like doing this because by the end you will be able to easily eat the inside of the grapefruit and won't have to concentrate on scooping out each section.
5
Garnish with sugar if you want. Many people sprinkle sugar on top of grapefruit to counter its tart flavor. If you wish, sprinkle about a teaspoon of sugar over the grapefruit. The grainy texture of the sugar can also be a pleasant counterpoint to the softness of the grapefruit. ^{[4]
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6
Place the grapefruit halves in a bowl. Grapefruits prepared in this way fit perfectly into bowls. Put each grapefruit half in a bowl that is a similar size. Accompany the grapefruit halves with a small spoon. To eat the grapefruit, use the spoon to scoop up fruit of the grapefruit. The fruit should easily dislodge from the grapefruit since you spent the time to cut around the membranes.

Method 2

Method 2 of 6:

Peeling Grapefruit Sections

1
Peel off the skin of the grapefruit. Peel off the outer skin of the grapefruit just as you would do for an orange. Grapefruit skin is thick, so if you are having trouble making the first peel, knick the skin with a knife and peel away from this incision.^{[5]
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2
Peel off the excess skin. After you peel away the skin, you will probably see a whitish layer around the outside of the grapefruit. Use your fingernails to peel off this layer. You can also use a knife to cut it away if you prefer.^{[6]
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- You won’t be able to peel this off all at once. Instead, peel it off in little strips or use a knife.
3
Split the grapefruit into sections. Take the peeled grapefruit and separate each section. There should be about twelve sections to each grapefruit. If you want, you can cut away the membranes. The membranes add a bitter taste to the fruit, so some prefer to cut them off. However, it isn’t necessary.^{[7]
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4
Arrange the sections on a plate. Take the sections of grapefruit and pile them onto a plate. To eat the grapefruit, just take a slice and enjoy! This is one of the easiest ways to prepare grapefruit.
- Because the membrane is slightly bitter and tough, some prefer to prepare grapefruit in a way that removes the membrane from the fruit.

Method 3

Method 3 of 6:

Preparing Grapefruit Segments

1
Cut the grapefruit top to bottom. Instead of cutting the grapefruit around the center, cut the grapefruit top to bottom at each navel, or pole. This should give you two equal sized grapefruit halves.^{[8]
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2
Cut away the outside skin. Lay each grapefruit half flat side down on a cutting board. Take a sharp knife and cut away the skin. You can also try peeling the skin with your fingernails, but a knife may work better to also get off the white layer of membrane inside the skin.
3
Cut away the fruit from the membrane. Take the serrated knife and cut each section of fruit away from the membrane. Cut as closely as you can to the membrane, so you are not leaving any fruit behind on the membrane. When you are done, the fruit should be separated into wedges, and membrane should be left behind. ^{[9]
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4
Place the fruit on a plate or in a bowl. The fruit of the grapefruit is fragile when separated from the skin and membrane, so be careful as you move the wedges to a plate. Sprinkle with sugar if you like. Eat either using your fingers or spear with a toothpick. ^{[10]
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Method 4

Method 4 of 6:

Making Grapefruit Drink Garnishes

1
Cut the grapefruit at the center. Using a large sharp knife, cut the grapefruit through its “equator”. This will give you two equal grapefruit halves.^{[11]
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2
Cut the grapefruit into circular slices. Stand one grapefruit half up on a cutting board so that the “pole” of the grapefruit and the open part of the grapefruit are horizontal to the cutting board. Using the sharp knife, cut ¼ inch slices of grapefruit. Do this for both halves of the grapefruit.^{[12]
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- Be very careful that your fingers don’t get in the way of the knife.
3
Cut the slices into wedges. Take the sharp knife and cut each circular grapefruit slice into a half-moon shaped slice. You can stop here, or if you want smaller wedges, cut the half-moon shaped slices in half to create triangular slices.
4
Cut a small slit in the slices and put them on glass rims. Take the knife and cut a small slit into the fruit of each grapefruit wedge. Take the wedges and put them on the rims of glasses or cups; the slit will help the grapefruit stay put on the rim.^{[13]
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- If you are not preparing any beverages, you can also simply put grapefruit cut in this way on a plate to eat.

Method 5

Method 5 of 6:

Making Grapefruit Juice

1
Cut the grapefruit in half. Half the grapefruit at its center through the “equator”. This should give you two equal grapefruit halves.^{[14]
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2
Use a manual citric juicer to juice the grapefruit halves. Put the manual juicer on top of a glass with the pointed side up. Take a grapefruit half and start to rub it into the pointed end of the juicer. You should see juice being released. Keep turning the grapefruit around in circular motions as you gently press it against the juicer. ^{[15]
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- You may need to use multiple grapefruits to get the amount of juice you want.
3
Strain the grapefruit juice. After you have released all the juice from both grapefruit halves, take a strainer and pour the grapefruit juice into another glass. This should remove any seeds or large pieces of pulp from the juice. Drink the grapefruit juice straight from the glass.

Method 6

Method 6 of 6:

Broiling Grapefruit

1
Prepare the broiler and the grapefruit. Set the broiler to its highest heat and preheat. Meanwhile, cut the grapefruit in half along its “equator” line. Cut the grapefruit around the rim of the fruit and along the segment lines. Take a sharp knife and cut some of the skin off the rounded bottom part of each grapefruit half so it can stand without tilting.^{[16]
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2
Drizzle the grapefruit with cherry juice and sprinkle with brown sugar. While the broiler is still preheating, pour a couple of teaspoons of maraschino cherry juice into the grapefruit halves. Then sprinkle each grapefruit half with as much brown sugar as desired.^{[17]
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- You can also add half a teaspoon of butter if you want a richer flavor.
3
Cook in the boiler for 8-10 minutes. After the broiler is done preheating, place the grapefruit halves into a shallow pan and cook. Cook for 8-10 minutes, or a little longer if you want a softer and more golden-brown grapefruit. ^{[18]
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4
Remove the grapefruit from the broiler and serve. Take the grapefruit out of the broiler. Let it sit for about five minutes until it’s warm as opposed to hot.Top with a maraschino cherry if desired. Eat with a spoon.^{[19]
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Community Q&A
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Question

Is grapefruit good for you?

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Staff Answer
This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

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Staff Answer

Support wikiHow by unlocking this staff-researched answer.

Yes, grapefruit is good for you. It contains plentiful vitamin C, antioxidants and folate and it is an excellent source of fiber. If you're on medication, let your doctor know that you like eating grapefruit, as its juice sometimes interacts with certain medications.
Question

How is grapefruit juice presented?

Community Answer

Simply pour the grapefruit in a glass and serve.
Question

Does grapefruit have to be orange to eat or can it be yellow for a rushed dessert?

Torpi

Top Answerer

Some grapefruit are only yellow when ripe. Those that are not yet ripe when yellow can be eaten, but won't be very tasty.

Warnings

Always be careful when cutting grapefruit. Make sure the knife is at least a half an inch from your fingertips when cutting.

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