History and Facts:
Grapefruit is a 19th century name that seems to have come from the way the fruit grows in bunches. The grapefruit is thought to be a descendant of the pummelo, a citrus fruit that grows in Southeast Asia. The grapefruit was introduced in Florida in the 1820's.

Florida Grapefruit prices and value plunged to their lowest levels in more than 35 years in 1997-98.

On-tree prices slipped to $0.72 a 85-pound box and to an on-tree value of $35,701,000

The delivered-in price for all grapefruit dropped to $2.98 a box and total value dipped to $147,768,000.

Florida growers left unharvested more than 8 million boxes on more than 11,000 acres due to
economic conditions, but still remained the nations No. 1 grapefruit producing state, accounting for 77.2 percent of the U.S. crop in 1997-98.

St. Lucie is Floridas leading grapefruit producing county with more than 50,000 acres and more than 5 million trees.

In 1997-98, more than 58 percent of all the grapefruit grown in Florida was shipped fresh, and
25 percent was shipped to foreign markets.

The primary varieties of Florida grapefruit are: Foster, Redblush, Thompson, Marsh and Duncan.

Nutritional Value:
Grapefruit is an excellent source of fiber and vitamin C, and has only 50 calories for one half.

Storage:
Grapefruit should be stored at temperatures ranging from 50 to 60 degrees fahrenheit, with a relative humidity of 85 to 90 percent. Typical shelf life is 28 to 42 days. However, long storage does not improve grapefruit quality.

Availability:
October though July