Nice! I'm also not a fan of grapefruits but that looks like a great example of a good one.

Than looks awesome. How was the taste?

My Birthday is coming up this weekend. Excuse to get another tree??

Thanks for the documentation Laura! Looks yummy! I'm not supposed to eat grapefruit because it apparently interferes with medication (statins), but every once in a while, I don't think it hurts!

I am with you John. Susanne, I’m not a real grapefruit connoisseur, but it was definitely very juicy. The flavor seemed like other grapefruits I’ve tried - pink ones - it was sour for sure, but isn’t that how they’re supposed to taste? It was delicious with a little sugar sprinkled on top...very refreshing!

I like grapefruit when they are sweet. I don't mind a bit bitter taste. Normally I peel them like and orange, no extra sugar. But maybe if they hang a bit longer on the tree like december/january , they will get sweeter?

Beautiful! Thank you for sharing! I am the same way and prefer sugar on top to make it tolerable.I really don't like bitter things so I usually stay away, I got two pummelo hybrids instead to mitigate that but I may have to add one grapefruit down the line. Let us know how they taste as they mature more!

Thanks guys. Dave, I’m sure once in a while it’s fine ;-). Susanne, I could not have eaten this (or any other) grapefruit without sugar. I can’t even stomach the juice. The flavor of this one was very fresh. Sammers, I will let the others hang on a bit longer. I just felt bad for that poor tree hanging on to all those heavy fruits mostly on the same side. I’m sure it’s breathing a small sigh of relief to be rid of at least one. I look forward to tasting oroblanco. Those I think are also almost ready and are even bigger than the Ray Ruby fruit.

Laura, that Ray Ruby grapefruit is beautiful! Thank you for sharing your experience. I love grapefruit and can usually eat it without sugar, but if one is extremely bitter I will use a bit of Raw honey to sweeten it up..

Can't wait to see your Oro Blanco. .

Feel better soon!

Laura that's a perfect looking piece of fruit . I love grapefruit with lot's of sugar. Hope that you can shake that cold , get well fast .

Brian

I try to avoid sugar right now. Really not easy as I am such an sugar addict. There is sugar everywhere. I love grapefruit and used to eat without sugar. Laura I hope you feel better soon.

Thank you Laura for this great information. Now, I feel more confident to add a few grapefruits in my collection. I am thinking about the cocktail grapefruit and maybe an oroblanco. And of course, a great valentine pummelo!

Thank you Jinny, Brian, and Susanne. I hope to feel better tomorrow. I am really tempted to take an oroblanco off my tree and try it also. I have read various things about when they are ripe - some say they can be picked when still green, but other pics show it yellowish. Mine are still green, but getting a bit lighter. They are definitely huge though.

Amy, we must have been typing at the same time! As I mentioned, I do not have much experience with grapefruits, but I thought it was pretty good with sugar. There is NO way I would have eaten that or any grapefruit without sugar....lol. I am not strong enough for that ;-)

The inside of your grapefruit looks so beautiful Laura! How tall is your tree? I have loved grapefruit ever since I first tasted it as a kid. I literally ate the huge whole fruits by myself in my teens! I absolutely love the flavor of grapefruit. The bitterness doesn't bother me as long as it has that grapefruit aroma and taste. I've wanted a grapefruit tree so badly after getting my Meyer but the grocery stores never tell you what type of grapefruit you're purchasing so I never knew which variety to go for. I also hear the trees must grow pretty tall before fruiting but I'd like to keep it in a container and not have a huge tree to lug around. I'd love to hear how your oroblanco tastes once it's ripe. Being in zone 7b too, the orocblanco is a strong contender on my grapefruit wishlist. Have you tried a pommelo before? It's supposed to be similar so maybe the intensity of bitterness will be different in a pommelo

Kvetch, the tree is not that tall...I’ll photograph it tomorrow...maybe 4.5’ in the container. I’ve tried a pomelo (red) from the store and liked it. This grapefruit was definitely juicier, but more sour. As I said, this is a grafted tree from Record Buck farms which I got at a local nursery. It has not grown much since it’s been growing the grapefruits, but it’s just now pushing out new growth - perhaps bc it is getting ready to shed the fruits.

I'll have to try a pommelo next to their grapefruit to compare their sweetness. Hopefully they will be shedding ripe fruit for you Laura!

Congratulations Laura. It looks so pretty!

Cory

I think grapefruit is a little sweeter than pomelo, but pomelo has less bitterness, and also has a cleaner, slightly more floral aroma.

That makes a lot of sense Parker! They look so similar that I'm sure I've had pommelo given to me by my parents in the past assuming they were grapefruit. I definitely remembering eating fruits that were grapefruit or what I thought was grapefruit and some were less bitter or not bitter at all! I've also had one that was very sweet yet not bitter! It's a shame I never knew which fruit it was and what variety but I wish I did so I could grow it! The Ray Ruby looks so interesting to grow though. I've never seen grapefruit flesh look like that. It looks almost like a blood orange

Pummelos have very thick skins and thick membrane covering each segment. And are quite a bit larger than Grapefruit. The Pummelos I have eaten had to be peeled of both the skin and the membrane before eating leaving what ends up looking like a supremed segment. They are much sweeter and very little bitterness but less overall flavor, even my chain supermarkets carry them in winter so keep an eye out and pick one up. They are a treat and everyone should try at least one. As someone who cannot tolerate bitterness Pummelos are wonderful! I have not had any of the hybrids but I have an Oro Blanco and a Valentine so I hope that they will be tasty once they start bearing fruit.

I also found this comparison article on different Pummelo varieties available in California. Obviously its subjective as people have different taste preferences but it makes me feel more confidant in my Oro Blanco and Valentine purchase. I would love to try a Tahitian or Thong Dee based on these reviews and see what the differences are.

I'm still waiting for the first fruit on any of my citrus! So envious when i read about last year's tree giving fruit!

Dchall, that is good to know! It was definitely not sweet, so it sounds like I must have picked it too early. It was a little bumpy for sure and green in areas. I will let the others sit on the tree till at least January as you suggested. Thank you!

Very pretty looking fruit, Laura! Update us on the next ones:) I don't consume grapefruit that often.

Laura, that's awesome! Congrats!

Now, I can't wait to see whet you think of your Oro Blanco one))