The Tropical Fruit Forum
Citrus => Citrus General Discussion => Topic started by: Millet on December 15, 2014, 09:45:21 AM
-
http://dallas.culturemap.com/news/restaurants-bars/12-12-14-rare-white-grapefruit-texas-prime-citrus-season/ (http://dallas.culturemap.com/news/restaurants-bars/12-12-14-rare-white-grapefruit-texas-prime-citrus-season/)
Millet
-
In my country the white grapefruit is much more popular than the reds.
It is seen as true grapefruit.
-
It is the same here in the UK and in Bulgaria , most are yellow skin, in the UK we also get pink for about 10 years but still mainly the yellow skinned are sold
-
I remember a post by Dr. Manners (a professor of citrus at Florida Southern College) where in his opinion the white fleshed Marsh Grapefruit when left hanging on the tree until March, was the best tasting grapefruit bar none. - Millet
-
Best grapefruit I've ever had was Duncans bought in Florida in April. Flavor was OTW.
I grew Duncans here in SE Texas and the flavor was not as good.
-
In my country the white grapefruit is much more popular than the reds.
Seems in the Dominican Republic shaddok (Citrus maxima) is more popular than grapefruit. Shaddok are usually about the size of a large grapefruit and yellow/white (but lack any bitterness), or much larger, sweet and pink inside.
I think I haven't seen a single grapefruit here until now :o.
-
In my country the white grapefruit is much more popular than the reds.
It is seen as true grapefruit.
You will be disappointed in white grapefruit in December, they are later than the reds for sweetness.
-
Grapefruit hang well on the tree . For an extra special tasting white grapefruit let it stay hanging on the tree until March. - Millet
-
Even though California isn't thought to have the heat to produce high quality grapefruit, I've always wanted to try a Duncan and let it hang on the tree for as long as possible. I have heard of some people who have let Pummelos hang on the tree for over 2 years. Who knows what could happen letting a grapefruit hang for 2+ years on a mature tree. In general, I think California's cool nights may enable fruits to hang longer than other environments. Axel, over at the cloud forest site, lets his Cara Cara navels hang for two years.
-Brett
-
I currently have an in-ground Cara Cara Orange tree that is loaded with fruit, more than my family can eat. I will tag one branch and let the fruit on that branch hang. It will be interesting to follow Bret's advice and let them hang for an extended time, at least until next summer then evaluate any taste difference. Another point to watch is how it affects the tree's ability, if any, to produce the next crop of fruit. - Millet
-
Millet,
How leaving the fruit on one branch hang work out?
-
I bought a Marsh Grapefruit on Millet's recommendation last year. It currently has a ton of flowers and they do look like grape or berry clusters, not at all like other citrus flowers. It is still small but I'll leave a couple fruits on the tree to see how they turn out next year.
-
Even though California isn't thought to have the heat to produce high quality grapefruit, I've always wanted to try a Duncan and let it hang on the tree for as long as possible.
I don't think that's true, or at least mostly not true. Hotter inland areas (like Riverside) have plenty of heat. Even areas that are marginally close to the coast in Southern California are not too bad. Might not be completely optimal but the fruits will still get enough heat to be decently good (certainly okay tasting at least).
Now if you're North of Santa Barbara or in the Bay Area, that is going to be a different story.
-
Heat plays a role in determining the time of fruit maturity and the level of fruit quality. The heat requirement is determined by the number of hours that the temperature is above 55-F from the time of bloom to maturity. In general, grapefruit have the highest heat requirement, about 11,000 hours. Varieties that have lower heat requirements mature earlier than do those with high heat requirements. Grapefruit is the most resistant citrus fruit to high temperatures, which is why most grapefruit grown in California are in the desert valleys of Southern California.