How To Store Cut Grapefruit To Keep It Fresh For Longer

Once you've picked the tastiest grapefruits from the supermarket and brought them home, it's time to store them properly to keep them around for as long as possible. Whole grapefruits are perfectly fine on the counter if used within four to five days, but as soon as the fruit is cut or peeled in any way, it should go straight into the refrigerator.

Refrigerating cut grapefruit is as easy as placing the fruit in an airtight container and popping onto the middle shelf — this will keep it fresh for two to three days. The trick is to minimize grapefruit's exposure to air, or else the succulent citrus will dry out in the frigid environment of the refrigerator. Limiting air exposure also ensures that the flesh doesn't absorb flavors and odors from other foods. Also, make sure to save the juice that drips out while slicing the grapefruit and pour that into the container as well. This, too, can keep the fruit from dehydrating in the fridge.

An alternate way to store cut grapefruit is to just wrap it in some cling film and refrigerate it. This method is especially handy when you're storing an entire grapefruit half that may be too large to fit into a container. However, be careful to wrap the film really tightly around the fruit, so there is no area in contact with the air.

If two to three days is too short a time to eat that sweet, tart, and slightly bitter-tasting grapefruit, you could also freeze it for 10 months to a year. To do so, take your sliced grapefruit and remove its peel, pith, seeds, and white membranes. Make sure to gently dab the flesh with a paper towel — you want the grapefruit to be as dry as possible. Line the chunks up on a tray and freeze them individually first. It's an important trick that will prevent all the pieces from freezing into one solid block. Once they look rock-solid, transfer them into an airtight zip-top bag and tuck that away in the back of your freezer.

When you're ready to eat the fruit, place it in a bag or an airtight container and leave it in the refrigerator overnight to thaw. Don't be surprised if you notice a change in its texture, though — freezing and defrosting can soften grapefruit's plump flesh and make it a tad mushy. This is why it's best to blend or puree frozen grapefruit rather than eat it on its own. Turn it into cakes, jams, ice creams, and smoothies, or use it in a drink where its texture won't be noticed, like in this grapefruit fennel juice. As a bonus, you won't even have to thaw the fruit overnight for most beverages; grapefruit can go straight from the freezer and into the blender.