How To Cut a Grapefruit

There is nothing quite like a grapefruit for breakfast – not just tart and refreshing, grapefruits are filled to the brim with many of the vitamins and minerals essential to our well-being, such as Iron, Potassium, Vitamin C, and Folic Acid. Since they have low sugar content and are very filling, grapefruits can be the perfect low-calorie, healthy, and delicious start to your day.

Of course, nothing is perfect, so they are somewhat annoying to cut and eat (especially if you haven’t had your first cup of coffee yet). There’s a reason we all have the slapstick image of someone eating a grapefruit, and getting juice squirted in their eye. Without the proper technique, eating a grapefruit can be frustrating and messy.

While you may simply quarter and eat it like an orange, the grapefruit’s membrane is much tougher, and can be somewhat unpleasant to chew on. That’s why your best option is to slice the grapefruit in half and cut out the individual segments. To do this, a grapefruit knife is truly your best friend. They can be bought online for under $5, and will make your life much easier. Grapefruit knives generally have two sides: a double blade for separating the segments from the membrane, and a curved blade for separating the entire flesh from the skin. If you are an avid grapefruit eater, this will make your life much easier, and your grapefruit eating much more elegant – and cleaner!

If you only occasionally eat grapefruits, maybe it’s time to think about why you don’t eat them more often – is it because they are a pain to cut? Would you have more of this healthy snack if it were easier to eat? Maybe a grapefruit knife will help. In a pinch, however, a paring knife will do just fine.

You will need:

A ripe grapefruit
A cutting board
A sharp paring knife or a double-sided grapefruit knife
A small dessert spoon

With the paring knife:

1. Start by slicing the grapefruit in half along the center, the same way as you would cut open an orange or lemon for squeezing.
2. Insert the blade in one of the segments, near the center of the grapefruit, with the cutting edge facing out. The blade should be right next to the membrane, so that when you cut, it will neatly separate the fleshy segment from the tough membrane.
3. Cut towards the edge of the grapefruit, being careful not to pierce the skin with the tip of the knife – you don’t want any of the precious juice to leak out!
4. Repeat on the other side of the membrane.
5. Go all around the grapefruit, separating each segment.
6. Once all segments are loose from the membranes, insert the spoon between the flesh and the skin, and pull out your neatly cut segment.
7. You may scoop out all the segments and put them on a plate, or eat each one straight from the grapefruit.
8. Enjoy your healthy, nutritious breakfast!

With the double-sided grapefruit knife:

1. Start by slicing the grapefruit in half along the center, the same way as you would cut open an orange or lemon for squeezing.
2. Insert the blades in one of the segments, near the center of the grapefruit, with the cutting edge facing out. Each of the blades should be on either side of the membrane.
3. Cut towards the edge of the grapefruit, being careful not to cut through the skin with the tip of the knife – you don’t want any of the precious juice to leak out!
4. Repeat this for each segment, all around the entire grapefruit.
5. Once all segments are separated from their membranes, insert the curved blade on the grapefruit knife between the flesh and the skin, and cut all the way around the grapefruit. Be careful not to tip the grapefruit, as a lot of the juice might spill.
6. With a spoon, you may scoop out all the segments and put them on a plate, or eat each one straight from the grapefruit.
7. Enjoy your healthy, nutritious breakfast!

Note: If using a grapefruit knife, make sure to clean thoroughly between the two blades, as small pips stuck between them are easy to overlook.