4 Foods to Pair with the Sweetness of the Rio Red Grapefruit

Some grapefruits are known for their bitterness, but the Rio Red grapefruit variety is actually quite sweet in flavor. Here's how to use this to your advantage.

The Rio Red grapefruit is our favorite variety of grapefruit. Do you know why? 

Unlike many of their grapefruit cousins which can have a harsh bitterness, they're consistently sweet and they pair well with plenty of your favorite foods and drinks. 

But what can you pair with your favorite sweet and tangy grapefruit? How do you make the perfect snack or meal with this citrusy treat? 

We're here to share some of our favorite Rio Red grapefruit pairings. Keep reading to learn more, and take notes!

1. Cottage Cheese

Citrus and cottage cheese go together like peanut butter and jelly.

Cottage cheese has a bad reputation. Many people are turned off by the texture and the overall idea of cheese paired with sweets. Anyone who's ever had a fruit and cheese board, or an apple grilled cheese, knows that this repulsion is nonsense. 

Cut your grapefruit into bite-sized pieces and eat it alongside your cottage cheese, or make a cheese and grapefruit parfait! The salty creaminess of the cottage cheese will work well with the citrus. 

2. A Spinach Salad

Salads don't have to be rabbit food. Sure, you should get your greens in, but why not enjoy the meal while adding an extra boost of vitamin C? 

The grapefruit serves two purposes here. You can add grapefruit slices to the salad but you can also use the juice as a dressing, or make a DIY grapefruit dressing with grapefruit juice, a sweetener of your choice, vinegar, olive oil, and a pinch of salt and garlic powder. 

If you want a boost of protein, add some chicken or grilled tofu cooked in a bit of soy sauce.

3. Goat Cheese and Bread

Who doesn't love cheese and bread? We already mentioned cottage cheese, but that's a traditional pairing for citrus. Why not try something different? 

Take a small piece of bread and put it in the oven to warm and crisp up. Once warm and toasty, add goat cheese to your heart's delight. You can't overdo it.

Add a slice of grapefruit to the top and enjoy it as a two-bite appetizer or snack. 

While some cheeses don't pair well with citrus, soft cheese like goat cheese works well to offset the acidity. You can try your favorite cheese (feta is another popular option) but goat cheese is perfect for spreading on bread.

4. Vodka

Okay, this isn't a "food" per se, but it is a great way to get your vitamin C in while you're enjoying a drink. 

Rim a martini glass with your sugar of choice (white sugar is fine). This will give you a nice sweet edge to the tangy drink. 

For the cocktail itself, you're going to need grenadine, vodka, and Rio Red grapefruit juice in a .5:1:2 ratio. Add it to a shaker full of ice and shake. Pour it into your glass and enjoy!

This is great with a cheese board or by itself.

Rio Red Grapefruits: Sweet and Ready to Eat

We love the  Rio Red grapefruit eaten plain with breakfast, but you can incorporate it into your meals and snacks in plenty of different ways. Why limit yourself to juices and slices? 

Try our seasonal citrus box while its available...the Craft Citrus Club!

Our Rio box is a 15-lb curated box of our fresh-harvested citrus from South Texas. The fruit is NOT gassed, rather it is tree-ripened. Our season runs from Nov-May for oranges, grapefruit and mandarins.

Our Grande box is a 30-lb box of either fresh-harvested Rio Red Grapefruit or Sweet Oranges from South Texas.