Just like orange juice and apple juice, while it’s easy enough to pick them up in-store, making this tart homemade fresh grapefruit juice is much better! Learn how to make grapefruit juice using a manual citrus press, blender, or juicer, then enjoy it fresh for maximum nutrients. Plus, you can control exactly what goes in the juice, including customizing the sweetness, consistency (pulpy vs. smooth), and flavor (with added fruits, etc.), with no preservatives!
Is Grapefruit Juice Good for You
Grapefruit is one of the lowest-calorie fruits but is still jam-packed with nutrients. Here are just a few of the top health benefits of grapefruit juice:
It contains over 15 beneficial vitamins and minerals. It’s an excellent source of vitamin C and vitamin A, both antioxidants that boost the immune system are anti-inflammatory, and improve wound healing and skin health/protection (against sun damage, aging, & inflammation). Vitamin C is, in particular, great for protecting cells from bacteria and viruses while aiding recovery. A single fruit contains about 10% of your Potassium RDI, which is important for heart health and a reduced risk of high blood pressure. Consuming grapefruit may help control insulin levels and prevent insulin resistance. It is also a rich source of several potent antioxidant plant compounds (particularly red or pink grapefruit juice, with beta-carotene and lycopene) that fight harmful free radicals and reduce the risk of several chronic conditions and cancers. It may reduce the risk of kidney stones.
Read more about the evidence-based grapefruit benefits on Healthline.
Who Shouldn’t Drink Grapefruit Juice?
Drinking grapefruit juice can alter the performance of several medications, like cholesterol and blood-pressure-lowering medications. So it’s best to consult a medical professional to ensure grapefruit juice and medications are OK to mix and won’t interact negatively with any medications you’re on. Also, highly acidic foods can increase symptoms in people with GERD and gastritis.
How Many Types of Grapefruit Are There
Grapefruits come in various colors, including yellow, pink, and red, with a sweet, sharp, tangy flavor. The sourness differs between types. In terms of exactly how many types there are, it’s hard to say, though there are over 20 varieties of grapefruit grown in the US alone.
What Is The Best Tasting Grapefruit?
The best grapefruit juice comes down to personal taste. However, in terms of flavor: In my opinion, the best grapefruit for juicing is pink grapefruit, as it’s delicious and easily found in grocery stores.
How to Make Grapefruit Juice
How to juice grapefruit in one of three ways for a quick, simple, and super refreshing treat. With a Juicer Juicing grapefruit with a juicer is the fastest and most convenient option, requiring minimal prep or effort. With a Blender Making grapefruit juice in a blender means diluting it with water, but it’s quick and simple. For more flavor, use coconut water or any other type of juice (orange, apple, pineapple). With a Hand Held Juicer or a Citrus Juicer With almost every household hiding a citrus juicer somewhere, this is great for those who don’t own appliances like a blender or juicer. While it takes longer and more effort, the process is still quick and simple. To extract the most juice, I recommend rolling it against the counter for 20-30 seconds to loosen the pulp (and/or microwave it for 15-20 seconds). If you’d prefer pulp (for fiber) in the juice, you can scoop it directly from the leftover fruit into the juice.
How to Make Grapefruit Juice Less Bitter
Many enjoy grapefruit with a sprinkle of sugar/Splenda to cut the bitterness in this citrus fruit. You can do something similar with grapefruit juice, adding some honey, maple syrup, agave, sugar/sugar alternative, or even flavored syrups. Alternatively, avoid added sugars by pairing the juice with other fruit juices:
Apple juice Pear juice Pineapple juice Grape juice Carrot juice Orange juice
It also pairs particularly well with berries (like strawberry juice), mango, kiwi juice, and ginger (1 inch of fresh ginger). Brighten it further with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice or lime juice. You can also dilute it with water or sparkling water. I love to serve mine over ice. You can also use this fresh grapefruit juice to add to cocktails, enjoy with spirits (like vodka or gin), mix into salad dressings, make into syrup, turn into sorbet, or even mix with yogurt and freeze into popsicle molds. Grapefruit Orange Juice One of my favorite juice blends combines a 2:1 ratio of grapefruit and orange juice. However, play around with the ratio to your liking.
More Juice Recipes
Passionfruit juice Watermelon juice (4 methods) Cherry juice
Or browse through this collection of 30 juicing recipes! If you try this simple homemade grapefruit juice recipe, let me know how it goes in the comments below. I’d appreciate a recipe card rating and would love to see your recipe recreations – tag me on Instagram @Alphafoodie!
