Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Grapefruit Guilt



Guilt seems to be an overriding theme in my life. Blogging guilt crept in after not posting for more than seven months. Gardening guilt overtook me when I missed all of the windows for planting spring and summer vegetables. And grapefruit guilt attacked when I contemplated the wasted citrus in my back yard.

Last year, I didn't have to deal with grapefruit guilt. I simply posted a message on our local RIPE produce exchange group and citrus pickers would magically arrive to harvest the fruit. But after an area fruit fly quarantine put the kibosh on fruit sharing, untouched yellow orbs fell to the ground or languished on the branches.

To the rescue came two small appliances - my De Longhi citrus juicer (lightweight, easy to store and use and just $15) and my Cuisinart ice cream maker (purchased online for less than $50).



Straight grapefruit juice has too much pucker-power, but grapefruit ade, with the addition of water and simple syrup, is as refreshing as the stuff kids hawk at summer-time stands.

Grapefruit Ade

2 cups grapefruit juice (about five grapefruits)
1/4 cup simple syrup (1/4 sugar and 1/4 cup water, heated until clear)
1 cup water

Let the simple syrup cool, stir the three ingredients together and start looking for a front-porch swing.

I found this recipe for Grapefruit Mint Sorbet on the blog for Produce in the Park, a volunteer-sponsored food and produce-sharing group in Monrovia. I love it when I have all the simple ingredients - grapefruits, mint, sugar and vodka - on hand for a delicious and refreshing dessert.



Grapefruit Mint Sorbet

2 cups grapefruit juice (and some pulp if you’d like)
2 cups water
1.5-2 cups of sugar (according to taste and sweetness of your fruit, but start on the low end)
2-4 sprigs of mint
1-2 shots of vodka or tequila

In a small pot, combine the juice, water, 1.5 cups of sugar and mint. Bring to a boil and then simmer on low for 10 minutes. Let steep for an additional 10-20 minutes, remove the mint, pour in the alcohol, then chill (the juice, that is).

At this point, you can either place the juice in an ice cream maker for about 25 minutes, or put it in the freezer. If you opt for the freezer, just make sure to scrape/mix it every 30 minutes while it’s freezing to incorporate some air.


The fresh-from-the-maker sorbet gets weeply quickly, but an hour in the freezer produces a firmer version (see above photo).

These grapefruit recipes have cleansed my guilt as effectively as a sorbet cleanses the palate between courses. Now if only I could find a recipe to dissolve the other guilt in my life.

16 comments:

Cafe Pasadena said...

Good to see you made your way back to your blog, SC! Even if we can't blog as often as we'd like, just remember it's better that we aim for quality over quantity of postings! So I'm already awaiting your next post - like more ice cream pics!

Petrea Burchard said...

As I'm a big fan of grapefruit, this is a super comeback.

Ronni Gordon said...

I love grapefruit, but it interacts badly with a couple of drugs I take. A nurse once explained the science, but I don't remember. I'm sure I could look it up, but why bother, no grapefruit for me. Enjoy yours!

Anonymous said...

I'll take Ronni's.

Pasadena Adjacent said...

So how about I whip us up some grape aid, and you can tell us what you've been up to the last six months?

Susan C said...

Thanks to all for the welcome back.

Petrea and AH, now that the quarantine has been lifted, I have plenty of grapefruit to share.

PA, we should catch up over greyhounds - grapefruit juice mixed with vodka.

Jeanne said...

A "greyhound" is grapefruit juice and vodka? Count me in!

I had to avoid grapefruit and the juice for about two years because of one drug I was on--Tykerb--and after I was off the Tykerb I kept forgetting to buy grapefruit ... now I drink the unsweetened juice, just diluted with filtered water, every day.

So glad to see you writing about food again--no one does it better.

Bec said...

Fun to see a new post (no guilt intended). We love grapefruit sorbet and the mint variation has been a favorite. Last summer, we'd do little scoops of it over a big bowl of watermelon :)

JennyB said...

Ahem young lady.....I do recall you have been very unwell, so unless I am mistaken, there should be no room for any guilt whatsoever. I do love your reference to "pucker-power" though....Anyone would know what that meant!
Unfortunately the weather here in Melbourne Australia is quite wintery cold right now but I shall earmark those mouth-watering recipes for our summertime thank you very much!

Susan Campisi said...

Oh how I enjoy the grapefruit. Just yesterday I was contemplating its virtues as I drank a grapefruit soda.

That sorbet sounds divine. Guilt-free.

-From the other Susan C.

Anonymous said...

Yippee! As one of your blog lurkers, I am excited to see you back!

Anonymous said...

Yippee! As one of your blog lurkers, I am excited to see you back!

Pasadena Adjacent said...

B D & G Sandblasting East 54th street (off Santa Fe)

GINKO said...

Those on the ground are super fragrant. Nice, Susan!!

Desiree said...

Looks gorgeous!

Anonymous said...

OK where you been lately?