12 ways to eat tart, sweet grapefruit

A rule of thumb for grapefruits is that they only reach peak sweetness after Thanksgiving. Sugar measurements show that sweetness increases even more by Christmas. But it’s not just sweetness that caused botanists to name this wonderful fruit “Citrus x paradisi” — the citrus of paradise.

Grapefruit juice has about half the citric acid of lemons and limes but about 50% more than most oranges. A glass of grapefruit juice also has about twice the daily requirement of vitamin C that the average person needs.

So the sugar in the fruit is balanced by a goodly amount of lip-smacking acid. Our wine-savvy culture here in the Wine Country knows that a proper level of acid in wine not only supports its longevity, but gives wine its tart edginess. Any fruit that’s sweet but lacks acid is insipid. But not grapefruit.

This nice balance of tart and sweet makes grapefruit beg to be used for more than just an accouterment to breakfast. With grapefruit’s season of excellence upon us, here are some ideas:

Combine vodka, ginger ale, grapefruit juice, a splash of red wine and a teaspoon of simple syrup to make a grapefruit sangria.

In Italy, they serve salmon with broiled grapefruit segments and gremolata. Sounds like a perfect dish for Northern California, too.

Boil a cup of packed rosemary with sugar and water. Discard the rosemary and cool, then stir in a half cup of fresh grapefruit juice and the juice of half a lime. Use this to make sorbet.

Layer grapefruit segments with lemon yogurt and top with lime juice and mint-infused honey to make a pretty parfait.

Instead of a retro lemon meringue pie, why not a grapefruit meringue pie?

Grapefruit segments, thin-sliced red onions and shaved fennel dressed in mint vinaigrette makes an unforgettable salad.

Top grapefruit halves with finely chopped crystallized ginger and pass under the broiler for a minute or two.

Make a grapefruit granita by freezing slushy juice. If it freezes completely, refresh it in a blender or food processor. Make a compote of orange segments and surround and top them with the granita.

In a saucepan mix 1 cup water, 1 cup sugar, ½ cup thin-sliced fresh ginger root and ½ teaspoon whole black peppercorns. Bring to a boil, simmer 10 minutes, strain and cool the syrup in the refrigerator. In a pitcher, mix cold ginger syrup and 3 cups fresh grapefruit juice. Add two ice cubes to eight cocktail glasses, divide juice-syrup mixture into eight equal amounts in the glasses and top with club soda.

Grapefruit segments go great with cooled roasted beets in a salad. They also pair beautifully with ripe melon slices.

Mix 1 cup grapefruit juice and scant amounts of molasses, honey, brown sugar, Dijon mustard and fresh ground black pepper to make a glaze for a ham.

These ideas just scratch the surface of the usefulness of tart-sweet grapefruit.

Grapefruit first appeared in Barbados around 1750 when a Chinese bitter orange crossed with a nearby pomelo. The fruit was so delicious, the locals nicknamed it “the forbidden fruit.” It is forbidden no longer. It’s a shame we can’t get Florida grapefruit here in recent years, because the hot days and warm nights there make for top-quality grapefruit. But we have good fruit, mostly pink and red varieties, from Texas and Southern California.

The creamy sweetness of the cake is further glorified by the tartness of the grapefruit flavor. You’ll need a springform pan and a large roll of heavy-duty aluminum foil for this lovely dessert.

Recipe: Grapefruit Cheesecake

Makes 8 servings

¾ cup graham cracker crumbs

1 tablespoon plus ⅔ cup sugar, divided

1 teaspoon grated grapefruit zest

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

2 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Pinch salt

2 packages (8 ounces each) softened cream cheese

½ cup sour cream

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons pink grapefruit juice

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place rack in lower third of oven. Grease the springform pan sides and bottom.

Grind crackers in blender until fine. In a bowl, mix crackers, 1 tablespoon of sugar, zest, ginger, salt and melted butter. Press this mixture into the bottom of the pan and about 1 inch up its sides.

Place the springform pan on a baking sheet and place in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove and let cool. Reduce oven temperatures to 325 degrees.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and remaining sugar until smooth. Beat in sour cream, vanilla and grapefruit juice. When smooth, add eggs one at a time, beating on low speed just until they’re combined.

Place the springform pan in the center of an 18-by-18-inch square of heavy-duty aluminum foil on a flat surface.

Bring the foil up evenly all around the pan. Repeat with two more squares. Crimp the layers of foil along the top edge of the pan. Make sure there are no holes or places where water can get through the foil into the pan. Have a roasting pan or large pot ready in which you can set the foiled pan. Fill a kettle with 2 quarts of water and bring to a boil.

Pour the cream-cheese filling into the springform pan, covering the cracker crust. Smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Place this in the roasting pan or pot. Place the pot on the lower rack.

Carefully pour boiling water into the roasting pan or pot, about halfway up the sides of the foil, being sure no water gets in the springform pan. Close the oven door and bake for 1 ½ hours.

Turn oven off and open the oven door 1 inch. Allow the cheesecake and water bath to cool slowly for one hour.

Remove the springform pan from the oven and remove the foil. Loosely cover the top of the cheesecake with foil so it doesn’t touch the cake and chill in the fridge for four hours or overnight. Run a metal spatula around the inner sides of the pan before removing the springform. To serve, garnish the tops of slices with grapefruit segments.

Jeff Cox is a Kenwood-based food and garden writer. Reach him at [email protected].