Florida Ruby Red Grapefruit Rated Tops in Sweetness

Our Ruby Red Grapefruit are blushing — and with good reason. Considered by many grapefruit lovers to be the tastiest and sweetest of all grapefruit varieties, Florida Ruby Red Grapefruit have been called the “Rolls-Royce” of citrus fruit. When the U.S. Department of Agriculture conducted a comparative evaluation of U.S. fruit shipped to the European Union a few years ago, Florida’s Ruby Red Grapefruit earned top honors. Florida Ruby Reds were judged to have the highest sugar content and thinnest skin of all grapefruit varieties grown in the U.S.

All that fresh juicy sweetness packs a considerable nutritional punch. Not only does half a medium grapefruit contain just 40 calories, but all Florida Grapefruit varieties are excellent sources of vitamin C. According to the USDA, half of a medium grapefruit (about 1/2 cup) provides 70% of the recommended daily amount (RDA) of vitamin C, 5% of recommended daily fiber intake and 2% of your daily calcium requirement. But hidden in their festive red color, Florida Ruby Reds pack a few extra nutritional benefits not found in their pale White Grapefruit cousins.

Like other red-colored fruits and vegetables, including Red Navel Oranges, festive Florida Ruby Red Grapefruit are an excellent source of vitamin A, which promotes healthy eye sight, providing 23% of RDA. Ruby Reds also contain a generous dose of lycopene which may help prevent heart disease and has been linked to a decreased risk of ovarian cancer and prostate cancer. In fact, in a 2007 Florida study comparing the nutritional densities of various fruit juices, Florida Ruby Red Grapefruit juice was declared the clear winner, followed by orange juice and white grapefruit juice – no wonder our Ruby Reds are blushing!