Does anyone have the definitive method of eating grapefruit, or at least some helpful tips? I looked it up and all I could find was the suggestion of using a grapefruit spoon, which, duuuuuuh, of course I do that. I’m talking about anything you’ve discovered that might cut down on the juice in the eye, mess on the desk factor. Is there some way to make it easier to excract the pulp, such as serving it at room temperature or whatever?
My dad always uses a paring knife to cut out two sides of each section before he eats it–the short outer side and one of the long sides. I can’t say that this cuts down on juice (and drinking the juice out of the empty skin IS one of the great pleasures of grapefruit), but you do get bigger sections of pulp out that way.
I just cut it into 8ths and eat it like an orange. Man, I love grapefruit.
I peel it, and take each section, and open up the section casing, and just eat the juicy inside bits, discarding the peel, pith, and section casing.
Yes, this does take forever, why do you ask? 
My wife took a knife skills class and learned how to supreme citrus. Takes a little bit of time, but you end up with a no-mess way to eat your grapefruit. Here’s a decent primer on the technique.
That’s my method as well. I have a co-worker that brings in the largest, juiciest grapefruit from his tree. I have to stand over the sink in the kitchen to eat them.
People keep asking me if I’ve put sugar on that as they watch me eat/drink my grapefruit. No way - I love them just the way they are right off the tree. Yummmm.
That is also my method of choice, it renders such delicious chunks of fruit with no nasty clingy bits. Until now, that is…
Can’t wait to get home and try this!
Use a grapefruit knife, preferably a double-sided one like the one in the link. It has a curved blade for cutting around the outside edge of the grapefruit to separate the pulp from the rind, and two narrow blades very close together on the other side to neatly separate each section from its membranes. Here’s a nice blog entry on the joy of the grapefruit knife. I have three, including one I keep at the office for days like today, when a coworker brought in a grapefruit for me just because she knows how much I love them. Get yourself a grapefruit knife – you won’t regret it.
I’m sure it’s awesome, it looks very pretty, but man, I don’t like working that much to eat my food.
My attitude is also that a grapefruit is just a big, fat orange. But I don’t cut oranges, so I don’t cut grapefruit. Just peel the skin off of them (either of them), separate the sections, and eat each section.
(I’ll note that this does disturb my wife for some reason. My theory is that she’s been brainwashed by the Spork people.)
Thanks, all. I used to just cut it in quarters and eat it like an orange but that seemed too messy so I started bringing in a half and using my grapefruit spoon. That seems to keeps it from covering my hands but I feel like a lot of the fruit gets wasted. I like that supreme idea but not sure if I’m coordinated enough. By the way, I’m talking about eating them at work. At home I just dive in, mess be damned!
I use a bent grapefruit knife to liberate the segments from a halved grapefruit. Put the segments in a bowl, and then squeeze the juice and extraneous pulp from the rind into the bowl.
Sugar is optional.
Enjoy.
I use the ‘supreme’ method JohnM linked to above, and I cut several grapefruit at a time. They last a very long time in the fridge- they are so acidic that practically nothing but fungus can grow in the bowl- and I’ve never had a bowl go bad before I ate it all.
You’re on a right track, but a grapefruit spoon is even better and easier to use. Cut the grapefruit in half and serve yourself.
Only if you like putting sharp implements into your mouth.
I do supremes, and it is well worth the <3 minutes it takes to do it. Grab the leftover stuff and give it a good squeeze to get all the remaining juice.
I do supremes, but didn’t know the technique had a name. The only additional tip I have is that I found my flexible boning knife better for the job than a paring knife. In fact I only really use it and a chef’s knife for everything.
Cut in half, then use a grapefruit knife to cut around the edge, then on both sides of each membrane. Eat wedges with a teaspoon, then after eating all the wedges, scrape the shit out of the bottom/sides of the rind to get the remaining pulp and juice.
They make special silverware for a ruby red Texas Grapefruit. It is really good with toast and honey, just enough sweetness and cloy in the accompanying toast to balance the fruit…
I used to get the ruby reds from the High School Band Fundraisers. I always looked forward to that crate of Grapefruits at the right time of the year.