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Grapefruit Woes |
CincyTikiCraig
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 31, 2009
Posts: 368
From: Cincinnati, Ohio USA
|  Posted: 2012-04-21 11:27 pm Permalink
DAMN! The white grapefruit season is finished.
Over the past months here in the Midwest I have been spoiled by a continuous supply of the biggest, juiciest Oro Blancos that I've seen in years. Every grocery store in the area was stocked with white grapefruit that was heavy for its size, and laden with juice. That all ended this week; there's nothing to be found but ruby red grapefruit now. I'm drinking a Black Magic right now, and finished a Navy Grog ten minutes ago, and the drinks just aren't the same with red grapefruit juice; they lack acidity, 'bite', and classic grapefruit notes. In years past when white grapefruit hasn't been available I've resorted to using bottled white grapefruit juice, and adding small amounts of freshly squeezed red (or pink) grapefruit juice to freshen up the bottled stuff, with moderate success. So I'm wondering-what are other TCer's doing when they can't get fresh white grapefruit?
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jokeiii
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Sep 18, 2010
Posts: 359
From: Miami
| Posted: 2012-04-22 12:47 am Permalink
Try the stuff in the cartons, as opposed to bottled. It's "less-unfresh."
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-J.
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CincyTikiCraig
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 31, 2009
Posts: 368
From: Cincinnati, Ohio USA
| Posted: 2012-04-22 12:57 am Permalink
Quote:
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On 2012-04-22 00:47, jokeiii wrote:
Try the stuff in the cartons, as opposed to bottled. It's "less-unfresh."
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Thanks for the reply Jokeiii. Just to be clear, what do you mean by cartons?
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Dapuma1
Tiki Socialite
Joined: May 04, 2010
Posts: 113 | Posted: 2012-04-22 06:32 am Permalink
I thought California Texas and Arizona started producing white grapefruit now? They are not avaliable year round? I know they are near impossible to find in AZ ever unless you know someone with a tree
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poutineki
Tiki Centralite
Joined: Jan 12, 2012
Posts: 80
From: Ontario, Canada
| Posted: 2012-04-22 11:56 am Permalink
I can't get white grapefruit in any store within a couple hours of where I live. I can get them through one of our suppliers at work but the smallest pack size is 5 lbs. I can't go through 5 lbs. during their shelf life with drinks alone so I end up finding other uses for some. Beats not having them at all.
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jokeiii
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Sep 18, 2010
Posts: 359
From: Miami
| Posted: 2012-04-22 6:20 pm Permalink
By cartons I mean the stuff in the refrigerated case that comes in cartons, like milk or refrigerated OJ. My preference of this kind of juice is Florida's Natural but in some markets only the Ruby Red is available. Tropicana  is pretty good in this format, too...and likely more readily available everywhere. (This stuff is miles better than juice in bottles or cans.)
[ This Message was edited by: jokeiii 2012-04-22 18:23 ]
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CincyTikiCraig
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 31, 2009
Posts: 368
From: Cincinnati, Ohio USA
| Posted: 2012-04-22 7:23 pm Permalink
Quote:
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On 2012-04-22 18:20, jokeiii wrote:
By cartons I mean the stuff in the refrigerated case that comes in cartons, like milk or refrigerated OJ. My preference of this kind of juice is Florida's Natural but in some markets only the Ruby Red is available. Tropicana is pretty good in this format, too...and likely more readily available everywhere. (This stuff is miles better than juice in bottles or cans.)
[ This Message was edited by: jokeiii 2012-04-22 18:23 ]
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Damn, that would be perfect! Unfortunately, just as you said, only ruby red is available in cartons in these parts.
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Brandomoai
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 05, 2008
Posts: 323
From: Edmonton, AB, Canada
| Posted: 2012-04-22 8:25 pm Permalink
As far as I can tell, there is only one not-from-concentrate white grapefruit (actually a combo of white and pink but not ruby red) available in a carton in Alberta, which is the 100% Florida Grapefruit from Superstore. However, I'm on holiday in Phoenix right now and I just made a few drinks from grapefruits freshly picked from my uncle's tree and I can truly say I will never be able to duplicate these back home. Fresh (really fresh) squeezed makes an enormous difference!
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The Gnomon
Tiki Socialite
Joined: May 01, 2007
Posts: 1293
From: MD-DC-VA
| Posted: 2012-04-23 12:54 pm Permalink
Quote:
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On 2012-04-22 19:23, CincyTikiCraig wrote:
Damn, that would be perfect! Unfortunately, just as you said, only ruby red is available in cartons in these parts.
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Many grocery stores, maybe most, will order things they can get but don't stock if you are willing to buy whole cases. If they stock ruby red, but can get white if they wanted, they should be able to order a case for you. You might have to pay in advance if they don't want to stock the item and they don't want to get stuck with it if you don't buy it once it comes in. No harm in asking.
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jokeiii
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Sep 18, 2010
Posts: 359
From: Miami
| Posted: 2012-04-23 1:19 pm Permalink
Incidentally, fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice freezes pretty well.
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Dapuma1
Tiki Socialite
Joined: May 04, 2010
Posts: 113 | Posted: 2012-04-26 10:25 pm Permalink
saw a simply grapefruit in the store today but it didnt look golden it had a redish hue, i think i have no choice but to go with the ocean spray in the big jug 
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CincyTikiCraig
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 31, 2009
Posts: 368
From: Cincinnati, Ohio USA
| Posted: 2012-04-27 8:36 pm Permalink
Quote:
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On 2012-04-26 22:25, Dapuma1 wrote:
saw a simply grapefruit in the store today but it didnt look golden it had a redish hue, i think i have no choice but to go with the ocean spray in the big jug
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That's what I ended up doing tonight. It was either that or squeezing a ruby red. I added a little freshly squeezed ruby red juice into the Ocean Spray to give the bottled juice some freshness. It's working OK, but fresh white juice is still the tops.
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CincyTikiCraig
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 31, 2009
Posts: 368
From: Cincinnati, Ohio USA
| Posted: 2012-04-27 11:07 pm Permalink
I'm drinking a Navy Grog made with the Ocean spray bottled white grapefruit juice, spiked with some fresh squeezed ruby red juice.
The result is a pretty anemic drink; it lacks pungent grapefruit character, "punch", and acidity. Upon reconsideration, I think that ANY fresh squeezed grapefruit juice, regardless of variety, is preferable to this kind of bottled juice.
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Atomic Tiki Punk
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 19, 2009
Posts: 6393
From: Costa Misery
| Posted: 2012-04-27 11:13 pm Permalink
Grapefruit, Grapefruit, Bla Bla Bla, Grapefruit........ad nauseum
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CincyTikiCraig
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 31, 2009
Posts: 368
From: Cincinnati, Ohio USA
| Posted: 2012-04-27 11:36 pm Permalink
Quote:
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On 2012-04-27 23:13, Atomic Tiki Punk wrote:
Grapefruit, Grapefruit, Bla Bla Bla, Grapefruit........ad nauseum
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It's a vital component of Tiki cocktails. We shouldn't discuss?
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