Blood Orange Moon

 

The middle of March, 2025 marked a very rare occasion: The Earth, Moon, and Sun all lined up in a perfect row and the Moon passed into the darkest part of the Earth's shadow, or umbra, thereby causing a total Lunar Eclipse. Because of the reddish-orange tint that the moon takes on as an effect of the eclipse, it is often referred to as the Blood Worm Moon. Since it is the last full moon of winter, it is believed that the unusual light beckons the worms back up to the surface, much to the feasting delight of birds who are beginning to think springtime thoughts about making babies and building nests. Perhaps this blog writer is a bit biased, but to me this Blood Worm Moon looks exactly like a delicious Blood Orange floating in the sky.

The Moon, Citrus, Water, and You

Other than resembling a gigantic blood orange during a total Lunar eclipse, what else do oranges--and other citrus fruits--share in common with the moon? 

It is well documented that the moon's phases, which cycle every twenty-eight days, align with our own. The most well-known of these alignments is the effect of these phases on the tides (and fishing), but there is also evidence that the moon phases influence everything from hair growth, anxiety versus calmness, menstrual cycles and reproduction, sleep hormones, spiritual insights, and much more. Given that the moon directly impacts the gravitational pull of the tides, it is not a farfetched leap to conclude that our bodies, which are up to 75% water, are affected as well. When we align ourselves to the physical effects of the moon, we can be happier and healthier.

It follows then that staying hydrated is key, and hydration doesn't just mean drinking more water. Studies have shown that the key to keeping your cells hydrated is to eat hydrating foods like oranges and grapefruits, since they also contain electrolytes and minerals which help maintain a healthy water balance in your body. Containing almost ninety percent water, citrus fruits are the perfect nourishment for your thirsty, moon-influenced cells.

Eat Light When the Moon Is Bright

Many spiritual traditions also align their food choices to the phases of the moon. In 2025, the Hindu festival of Holi coincided with the Blood Moon, and thus was considered particularly auspicious. Holi, also called the Festival of Colors, offers feasts of colorful foods with an emphasis on the sweet and sour. Not surprisingly, then, citrus is a major part of Holi repasts. 

Pagan traditions advise that the days following the full moon are ideal to load up on citrus intake. Eating fresh and light as the moon begins its waning journey will help to fortify and cleanse your system for the darker, more introspective days ahead with the new moon.

Giving Citrus for the Lunar New Year

Another major world tradition in which both citrus and the moon play central roles is the Chinese Lunar New Year, which was just celebrated in mid-February. Centerpieces of oranges and tangerines with a money envelope, like the picture above, are standard home decorations during this time of the year.  You might even see a large pomelo or grapefruit in the arrangement. As it turns out, the Mandarin Chinese word for tangerine sounds phonetically like "luck," and the word for orange sounds a lot like "wealth." the color and shape of these fruits is also meaningful; think of balls of gold just rolling in! The yellow grapefruit is believed to protect that wealth and ward off evil spirits. It also resembles the power, wisdom and potential of the moon.

We like to say that eating freshly picked citrus is like putting some sunshine in your mouth, but now we can see that it's also directly connected to the moon. Truly, eating an orange, tangerine, or grapefruit every day is a cosmic habit of celestial proportions. So, go ahead--put a little moonlight in your mouth!

Sources:

Don’t Sleep on This: Total Lunar Eclipse will Bring Blood Moon March 13-14 - NASA

Does The Moon Affect Humans?

The 8 Moon Phases & How They Affect Your Body & Mind

17 Fruits Highest in Water

Holi | Description, Holiday, Colors, Stories, & Facts | Britannica

100+ Holi Recipes – Snacks, Sweets, Drinks and Main Course!

Cooking With The Moon Phases | Rachel Patterson

Why Citrus Fruit Is Lucky for Lunar New Year

Working Out with Oranges

 

We all know that oranges--along with their cousins honeybells, tangerines and grapefruit--are superfruits that boost our nutrition. But did you know that they are also great for working out?  With springtime around the corner, we want all the support we can get to get back in shape and ready for the warmer weather. In this blog we'll look at some great ways that these superfruits can be a great asset to our fitness goals.

Before Your Workout 

A lot of us struggle with the question of if we should eat before exercising, what to eat, and when. Whether you run, walk, lift weights, or do yoga, we don't want to eat too much and feel sluggish, but we don't want to feel hungry and undernourished, either. Enter citrus! Having a single orange, honeybell, or tangerine about thirty minutes before working out has a number of benefits. At only 65 calories, it provides both natural sugars and hydration, which offers fast energy, water, and electrolytes without packing in unnecessary calories. Forget the sports drinks; a navel orange is nature's perfect way to give you all you need. In addition, the high vitamin C content of citrus is an essential component of collagen production, which is timely in terms of the collagen that will need to be rebuilt after the exercise-induced micro-tearing down of muscle fibers. A bonus: these benefits from eating an orange right before your workout, combined with the potassium found naturally in the fruit, will result in less soreness afterwards.

After Your Workout

If you've had a particularly strenuous workout, eating an orange right afterwards and drinking a large glass of water is a smart choice. Vitamin C is especially important, and if you didn't eat an orange before your workout, then it is that much more critical to consume an orange afterwards to get that collagen repair going as soon as possible. Likewise, the natural carbohydrates in citrus help restore depleted energy, and the fiber helps retain water in your cells as well as add as much hydration as possible.

As Your Workout

As delicious as oranges are to eat, they are also great to work out with! When you go for a walk, take a palm-sized orange (tangerines work well for smaller hands) and toss it up in the air slowly from one hand to another. Not only is this a fun way to spice up a stroll, but it is fabulous for hand-eye coordination, proprioception, and communication between the right and left hemispheres of the brain. Combined with the boosted blood flow from walking, this fun exercise is as good for brain fitness as it is for the body. 

Want a team sport? Consider the "Moving Oranges" game: you will need ten oranges and four hula hoops. Put five oranges on each side of the playing space, inside a hula hoop. Put an empty hula hoop next to the one with the oranges. Each player has to bend down and pick up an orange using only their knees, then walk the orange over to the other hoop and deposit it inside. The first player to get all five oranges into the opposite hoop wins. Note: this game is not recommended for someone with bad knees. 

Of course, you can simply toss an orange back and forth to someone for an easy recreation break. However, if someone gets hungry in the midst, your "ball" might be devoured...and we can't say we'd blame them.

So, stock up on oranges and let's get in shape for spring!

SOURCES:

Oranges - The Complete Athlete Guide

To Eat Orange Before Or After Workout? Which Should Choose?

Is It Good To Eat Oranges After A Workout

Fitness Stuff #276: Eat an orange before a workout, you will experience less muscle soreness and they help you stay hydrated.

Working Out After Eating: Should You Do It? - Fitness Oriented

7 Foods You Should Be Eating Before A Workout (And 4 You Shouldn't) Slideshow

Oranges and Bodybuilding: The Surprising Benefits of This Common Fruit - Muscle Growth Expert

Pass the Orange Game | Skills Converged

Minute to Win It: Moving Oranges Game

Want to Sync the 2 Hemispheres of Your Brain? Neuroscience Says to Do This Daily (It Only Takes 4 Minutes)

Citrus for Galentine's Day!

Happy Galentine's Day! This spinoff of Valentine's Day, celebrated on February 13, was invented in 2010 by comedienne Amy Poehler during an episode of her award-winning sitcom Parks and Rec. In Season Two, she hosted a "Galentine's Day" brunch, and the made-up tradition quickly became official. It seems that a real celebration honoring the many merits of female friendship was something that many of us were longing for, and it's no wonder: Friendship love has many health benefits!

Gal Pals Live Longer, Love Stronger

While friendships between any combination of gender identities are important to our health and well-being as social animals, research has shown that this is especially true of platonic female and female-identified friends. Biologically speaking, this may be because women release more of the "love hormone" oxytocin, which can counteract stress and promote relaxation and feelings of ease and belonging around others. When a woman feels close to another woman, oxytocin flows. Since stress is the leading cause of disease and shortened lifespan, it isn't a stretch to say that these friendships are great for our health. 

But why women in particular? Don't men produce oxytocin as well? They do indeed--but in this case, nurture wins over nature--at least in our current culture.  Women are traditionally raised to connect with others, to share, and, well to nurture. Unfortunately, most men are conditioned to do just the opposite: they are encouraged to be self-reliant, tough, and non-emotive. As we learn and evolve and as gender fluidity becomes more the norm, however, this model is slowly dissolving, and men can also reap the health benefits of close friendships. 

We can also get support from the foods we eat to boost our oxytocin levels and maximize these friendships. As it turns out, citrus is the key!

Citrus Boosts Oxytocin Levels

The key nutrients needed for maximum oxytocin levels in our body are Vitamin C, Vitamin D, magnesium, and healthy fats such as olive oil, salmon, avocados, eggs, cheese, and chia seeds.  Of these four, citrus fruits are loaded with Vitamin C--they contain one of the most bioavailable forms of Vitamin C in all of nature--and they also have a respectable amount of magnesium. While they aren't that high in Vitamin D, it turns out that Vitamin C significantly increases the uptake of Vitamin D from other foods. Citrus also enhances your overall mood due to its uplifting fragrance and effect on increasing serotonin levels, which is also good for your health. Citrus is high in fiber, which makes you more regular and thus less irritable--all beneficial for fostering real friendships. Add to that the immune-boosting properties of these superfruits and you are sure to be in peak health to go out there and make genuine connections with present and future friends. 

Not sure which citrus fruits to pick? Go for a sampler like a Grove Basket, pictured above.

Galentine's Brunch

Putting all of this information together, it makes sense that a great way to celebrate Galentine's Day is by enjoying a brunch that features oxytocin-rich foods. Imagine a mouthwatering spread replete with cheese and avocado omelets and citrus parfaits. You can make an easy grapefruit parfait, pictured below, using ruby red grapefruit, vanilla yogurt, and a drizzle of honey or a dash of chia seeds on top, if desired. Substitute oranges, mandarins, or create a trio of these three for some variety. You can also make citrus-infused water with filtered water, orange slices, and mint sprigs for a delicious and artistic way to hydrate while spending precious time with your beloved besties! 

Whether you're single, hitched, male, female, or nonbinary, Galentine's Day is a commemoration of true friendship love for everyone. Celebrate it the healthy way with citrus--after all, citrus is love! :-)

Sources:

Why Galentine's Day is an important celebration of female friendship

The Importance Of Female Friendships | The Well by Northwell

Oxytocin: The love hormone - Harvard Health

Oxytocin in Males: How the Love Hormone Works in Men | Good Health by Hims

How to Boost Oxytocin: Foods that Increase It | Well Wisdom

Effects of Citrus Fruit Juices and Their Bioactive Components on Inflammation and Immunity: A Narrative Review - PMC

Super Delicious Orange Infused Water - Savory Thoughts

Honeybells: Healthier Snacking for Your Teen

The other day, I walked into my fifteen-year-old son's room and beheld a sea of wrappers on the floor: fruit snacks, cookies, chips, chocolate bars, sour candies, snack muffins...it was a veritable ocean of unhealthy, overprocessed, over preserved snack foods and confections that would make any reasonably healthy adult's stomach overturn. Benny is a bottomless pit, and while it would seem that this endless intake of junk would have deleterious effects on his health, he somehow has boundless energy and appetite. Thankfully, he also eats balanced and nutritious meals; but no matter what I do, the vending machines and grocery store snack and candy aisles have an irresistible allure to his snacking urges. As he grows, these snack habits will be sure to negatively impact his health and vitality. Like most parents, I want my children to crave better food choices, but how?

Teenagers and Nutrition

While it may seem as if teenagers are a bit like tiger sharks--you know--they can eat anything and be just fine--good nutrition is as important during this phase of life as it is in any other. In fact, in some ways teens are more at risk of being nutritionally deficient because junk food is habit-forming. They are bombarded with junk food at every turn, and advertisers capitalize on this by making unhealthy foods attractively packaged and promoted to appeal to all the things teens hold dear, from appearing cool to getting instant boosts of energy (that don't last).

But teens are in a stage of very rapid growth and metabolism, so while junk food can add the calories they need, it is almost always at the expense of the critical nutrients necessary for brain health, muscle and bone development, and sustained energy. To make matters worse, the habit-forming nature of junk food can last well into adulthood, setting the stage for lifelong and progressive health dysfunctions.

A Suprise Delivery

It's Honeybell season, and when a surprise gift delivery of these sweet and juicy treats came to my door from Florida Fruit Shippers last week, my impulse to share them was immediate. "Benny!" I called out to him as I opened the box. "Look what just arrived! You have to try one of these!"

He ambled over to the box, taking a moment to admire the splash of vibrant, bulbous, golden-orange shapes nestled in crinkly green wrapping paper:

"What interesting looking oranges," he observed.

"Actually, they aren't oranges," I corrected him knowingly. "They are called Golden Honeybells, and they are a type of mandarin orange that are in season now.  They are similar to, but not quite the same as Classic Honeybells, which are cross between a tangerine and a Duncan grapefruit. The classic ones will be in season in about two weeks. They are also called Honeybell Tangelos, since 'pomelo' is another name for grapefruit. There is another type of Honeybell too, called Baby Bells, which are cute mini versions of the Classic Honeybells."

Benny listened with interest, surely impressed by my considerable expertise in pomology. He then picked up one of the pomelos almost tenderly, marveling at its unique shape with a "honeybell" crown, the firm, colorful, porous skin, and its perfect, palm-sized dimensions:

After a moment of reflection, he picked up a second one, and I rejoiced: he's interested! Snack win! But instead of his usual hand-to-mouth pattern of eating anything, well, edible, he said, "Check this out, mom." 

And then he did this: 

"Stop, son!" I pleaded with him. "Those aren't your everyday citrus! Those are HONEYBELLS. You can't get them just anywhere, and they are only in season for a couple of short months. They are NOT to be juggled, thrown, or in any way played with, young man!"

"Well, what am I supposed to do with them, then, mom?" His question was almost innocent.

"Here's an idea, son: Why not EAT them?"

He eyed them curiously. "Okay, I'm game." He opened his mouth:

"Wait!" I exclaimed as he raised the entire fruit to his mouth. "You have to peel them first, silly."

Benny rolled his eyes. "Auuuuughhh! That's why I don't eat a lot of citrus fruits, mom; they're way too much work to peel."

"Just try, son. Honeybells are different than most other citrus types. They are very easy to peel."

Sure enough, it took little effort for him to get the sweet edible inside of the Golden Honeybell out of its "wrapper," so to speak. We didn't waste the peel pieces: they were divided between the compost bin and my saucepan for a quick and easy aromatherapy treatment for our home. About five seconds later, the entire fruit was consumed by a surprised and happy teenager. "MMMMM! Those are delicious!" He exclaimed. "Can you put them in my lunches this week?"

"By all means," I beamed, savoring the sweet moment. After all, instead of junk food, my son was now craving a new nutrition-packed snack replete with Vitamin C, flavonoids, fiber, and antioxidants! "Dap me up, son," I said with hand raised (for those without teenagers, this is the new term for a sort of angled high five that makes an especially loud sound). He raised his hand and as our palms met, my hand got stuck. "Oh, sweetheart, you are going to need to wash your hands. Honeybells are super juicy and full of natural fruit sugars, and it made your hands sticky."

"No need, mom. I've got it," he replied reassuringly, and simply licked all of his fingers and wiped them on his shirt. I stifled a protest...after all, my teenage son now loves Honeybells, and that's a major nutrition (and parenting) win. 

SOURCES:

Healthy Eating for Teens: What You Need to Know

What Causes Fast Food Addiction and How Can I Break It?

Citrus Fruits: Nutrition, Health Benefits, Risks, and More

Oranges and Your Dog

Dog lovers understand that when we love something, we want to share it with our pooches. This is especially true when it comes to the foods we eat: the joy we feel when we give our canine fur babies a healthy snack makes treating them just as much of a treat for us. Most dog owners are aware that there are some human foods that should never be given to their pups: grapes, raisins chocolate, onions, garlic, avocados, macadamia nuts, and xylitol top this list. But what about oranges and other types of citrus? 

 A Little, Not a Lot

While the flesh of oranges isn't toxic, too much at once can give your dog considerable gastrointestinal issues due to the high fiber and citric acid content it contains. That same high fiber, as well as the Vitamin C from citric acid, is also what makes very small amounts of orange pieces a healthy treat in moderation. The Vitamin C can help boost your pup's immune system, and limited amounts of fiber can aid in digestion just as it does for us humans. Oranges and all other fruits that are considered dog-safe such as bananas and blueberries are also high in natural sugars. So, if your dog is diabetic or sensitive to sugar, then you will want to be especially stingy in sharing any fruit with them or simply refrain altogether. 

Make sure to check with your veterinarian before introducing citrus treats to your pup's diet. If you are given the green light, stick to oranges or tangerines only. Do not feed your dog grapefruits, lemons, or limes. Start with a very small piece to see if your dog likes it and to ensure that there are no digestive issues or skin irritation. If all is well, stick to tiny bits every once in a while, as a rare and special tasty treat. You can put a little piece into their regular food or kibble, freeze tiny pieces for a cold treat on a hot day, or mix a small piece or two into a doggie smoothie.

The Peel Has No Appeal

By comparison, the peels, rinds, and seeds of any citrus fruit are toxic to dogs due to high limonene content (the same flavonoid that makes citrus zest equally bitter to and healthy for humans) as well as a compound called psoralen. Likewise, fruits that have mold on their rinds contain mycotoxins which can cause a whole host of health complications, so make certain that any pieces of flesh you give them are seed-free with any rind or peel pared completely out. If you have citrus trees in your yard or home, make sure to pick up any dropped fruits, and especially those that have mold.  Rinds are also concentrated with essential oils that are poisonous to dogs, so if you have a dog that likes to explore everything with their mouth, make sure to get fruits out of their reach.

Likewise, dogs should never be served orange juice, as it is way too concentrated for safe consumption. We humans may turn to orange juice when we have the sniffles to stave off a more serious illness, but if your pup is under the weather, your vet is your best bet. For your pup's hydration, stick to water.

Make Fleas Flee

The essential oils found in citrus, while not meant to be ingested, can work wonders around the house for flea control--with the added bonus of aromatherapy!  Just take those carefully pared peels and put them in a saucepan of water. Bring the water to a boil, turn it down, and simmer for one to two hours. This simple heat-derived chemical process leaches out the essential oils while making your home smell divine! Let the mixture cool and then blend the peels and water in a blender or food processor. Strain the resulting pulp until you get a fragrant liquid. This is your flea treatment for your home: put your pet in a separate area and treat for fleas with a veterinarian-approved medication. Do not spray your pet with the essential oil mixture!  Instead, spray the essential oil mixture generously on all flea-ridden bedding, carpets, etc. While you're waiting, you can mix some fresh-squeezed orange juice into an oatmeal dog shampoo to help treat for fleas and control itching and then treat your pet with a veterinarian-approved flea and tick medication. Make sure to let the treatments dry completely before allowing your pet to return to the bedding area.

In summary, while oranges and tangerines can and should be a big part of our nutritional palette that we might be tempted to share, it should only be a limited part of your dog's gustatory experience. Put another way, the flesh of oranges and tangerines are unique and healthy treats in moderation. Additionally, the rinds should never be ingested but are great for a DIY flea control hack. Just remember to check with your vet when it comes to all things regarding your pup's nutrition and health.

SOURCES:

The 9 dangerous foods that you should never feed your dog

Can dogs eat oranges? Safety, benefits, and risks explained

Can Dogs Eat Citrus? Safe Fruits for Your Pet

Can Dogs Eat Citrus Fruit? Vet-Approved Facts & FAQ – Dogster

Can dogs eat oranges? What an expert says about the fruit, peel

Can Dogs Eat Oranges? Read Before You Feed | Purina

Can Dogs Eat Grapefruit? What To Know - A-Z Animals

How To Make Organic Citrus-Based Flea Spray | Cuteness

6 Natural Ways to Repel Fleas and Ticks - The Animal Keeper

Home Remedies For Dog Fleas To Protect Your Pet | ABC Blog

A Juicy New Year!

 

Ahhh, the holidays! This year, Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa all take place during the same week. While these may be different holidays, they share quite a few things in common: time with friends and family, gift exchanges, candles, lights, and food...lots and lots of food. 

Making Resolutions

Coming right on the heels of equally food-centered Thanksgiving, this season is definitely one that gives us a little too much permission to overindulge. As such, it is hardly surprising that the number one New Year's resolution in 2025 (and most years) for most adults is to improve health via better fitness, weight loss, and healthier eating. Second to these goals, people list money management and stress relief as their primary resolutions.

These aspirations are very much related to one another.  After all, stress can induce overeating and lack of motivation to exercise and eat right, which can then create a sense of malaise and a lack of energy to accomplish one's goals. This can in turn induce more stress, and the cycle continues. In fact, Forbes did a recent study which revealed that most people quit their resolutions before the summertime, after only 3.74 months. 

We need tools to help us navigate the choppy waters of making and failing at New Year's Resolutions, so that we can see them through. Studies have shown that it's easier to add to your daily routine than restrict your habits, and one of the easiest ways to do this is by adding more water, fruits and vegetables to your existing diet.  And one of the easiest ways to get a variety of fruits and vegetables regularly--with the added bonus of critical hydration-- is by drinking them!

How Juicing Helps Literally Everything

Remember how resolutions are interconnected? By strategically targeting nutrition and hydration, other challenges such as stress and weight management start to ease all by themselves.  There is a proven stress-diet connection that can be addressed proactively. Better eating and greater hydration bring on a better sense of well-being, sometimes immediately, which in turn relaxes both mind and body for a less stressful mindset. From here, other life challenges can be faced from a healthier perspective, such as money, work, and relationship issues.  Heck, if everyone started juicing regularly, world peace might not feel like such a pipe dream. 

People often associate juicing with a bad taste and the calorie and carbohydrate density of store-bought juices. In fact, store-bought orange juice is not nearly as healthy as fresh-squeezed and often contains an additive to replace the flavor and nutrients lost during packaging, when dearation (the removing of oxygen to prevent the juice from spoiling) takes place. By contrast, freshly juicing your oranges and grapefruits results in a nutritious, hydrating, and deeply satisfying flavor powerhouse! Another consideration that makes folks reticent to make their own juice is the myth that it is a labor-intensive process. While there are indeed fancy juicing machines available to buy and complicated recipes to explore, it can be a very simple and inexpensive process to juice. But how to do it?

Citrus Juicing 101

If you have a juicer or a reamer, great! However, it is important to note that unless you need to make gallons of juice, no equipment is required. If you have some oranges, grapefruits, or any other varieties of freshly picked citrus, a knife, and a bowl, you are ready to go! 

First, wash the fruits well. Then cut them in half, quarter the halves and simply squeeze each quarter into the bowl until no more juice comes out. If there are seeds, it can be helpful to place a mesh strainer or piece of cheesecloth over the bowl to catch them, so you don't have to fish them out later. Here's a little-known tip: if you heat the orange quarters or halves for ten seconds in the microwave, they become more pliable and thus much easier to squeeze! You can also make incisions throughout the flesh of the fruit (not the rind) before squeezing to help break up the fibers and release more juice.

The above equipment-free method is perfect for a cup or two of instant delicious nutrition. Plus, the citrus essential oils that are released during the squeezing process are proven mood-lifters!  Finally, taking a few minutes to ritually prepare the fruit, squeeze the juice and savor the result can be a powerful mindfulness exercise that takes only minutes out of your morning but can have sustaining effects on your peace of mind. 

Here's to your happy, healthy New Year, from all of us at Florida Fruit Shippers!

Sources:

What are Americans’ New Year’s resolutions for 2025? | YouGov

New Year’s Resolutions Statistics (2024) – Forbes Health

New year, healthier you? Here's how to gradually improve your eating patterns | American Heart Association

Keep your New Year's resolutions: 8 expert tips

The Stress-Diet Connection - Tufts Health & Nutrition Letter

The Truth About Store-Bought Orange Juice: It Doesn't Actually Taste Like Orange Juice

How To Juice Oranges Without A Juicer - Foods Guy

I'm Dreaming of a White Grapefruit

To the tune of "White Christmas" by Bing Crosby:

I'm dreaming of a white grapefruit

Just like the ones I used to know

Where the treetops are bursting            

With fruit for which I'm thirsting

For the sweet tangy flavor I love so....

I'm dreaming of a white grapefruit

With every Christmas card I write

May your days be merry and bright

And may all of your grapefruits be white!

While we admit that Bing Crosby would probably never have guessed that a grapefruit would be the topic of a rewrite of his snow-wistful lyrics, let's be real: even though Florida does have to contend with occasional freezes during citrus season, the last time it snowed in Florida was on December 23, 1989 (also known as "Florida's first white Christmas"). The snowfall was near Jacksonville, well north of central Florida's citrus belt, and it completely melted within a very short time.  

Those who live in the "citrus belt"-- areas in the southern U.S. such as Florida, California, and Texas that are ideal for citrus growing--are not familiar with snow. However, true to Mother Nature's perfect design, those southern holiday cold fronts are mighty beneficial for growing sweet, juicy, citrus.  This fact is especially relevant to the white marsh grapefruit, since some consumers mistakenly believe it is sour tasting. As such, they overlook the white grapefruit for other delicious varieties that are well known to be sweet, like ruby red grapefruit, deep red grapefruit, oranges, and tangerines, not realizing that the white grapefruit is both tart and sweet and thus bright and refreshing to the tastebuds--a true delight. Cold weather brings out the sweetness in all citruses, and when it comes to the tangy white grapefruit, that extra dose of sweetness only accentuates the hybrid flavors. 

The Marsh White grapefruit is also known as the Marsh Seedless, Whitney Marsh, Zinbaa Rose, and Marsh Jibarito. It is a little-known fact that this type of white grapefruit, discovered in Lakeland Florida in the mid-nineteenth century, is actually a hybrid of a sweet orange and a pomelo. It is almost totally seedless, and the other seedless grapefruits such as the ruby red and pink marsh grapefruits were developed from it. By comparison, the better-known Duncan white grapefruits have a more bitter taste and are loaded with seeds.

Whether you go for the white marsh grapefruit or any of the other grapefruit varieties, you can't go wrong incorporating their deliciousness into your holiday meals, snacks, and New Year's resolutions! All citrus fruits are famous for their concentrated vitamin C content, but grapefruits come out ahead in Vitamin A and phosphorus. A short list of the overall health benefits of grapefruits include hydration, weight management, cancer-fighting, heart and digestive health, glowing skin, and weight management. One thing to note, however, is that grapefruit can affect the efficacy of some prescription medications such as statins, blood thinners, and corticosteroids, so do check with your doctor if you are taking these or other prescribed drugs.

Here's to Bitter--I Mean Better--Health

It's true that grapefruits--and especially the white ones--can have a distinctive bitter note that is exclusive to this type of citrus. It's even sometimes referred to as the "grapefruit taste," and is caused by flavonoids called naringin and limonin that are in much higher concentrations in white grapefruits than any other type of citrus. These compounds are extremely effective in reducing inflammation and promoting healthy digestion and metabolism. In the olden apothecary days, doctors advised folks to take their "bitters" for a long and healthy life, and they were administered as a barely palatable tincture. Now you can get your bitters in a much sweeter package!

How to Enjoy a Grapefruit

The simplest way to enjoy a grapefruit is fresh and raw. You can peel and section the fruit and serve it on a plate, or cut it in half and simply spoon-scoop the segments with or without a drizzle of honey on the top. You can add grapefruit segments to fruit salads or greens mixed with gorgonzola cheese and walnuts. Grapefruits are perfect for juicing with other fruits and vegetables. They can also be flavorful stand-ins for lemons when cooking seafoods, sauces, marinades, and even frostings. And through it all, the scent of grapefruits can be enjoyed as aromatherapy, warming up a room and your mood on a cold winter's night.

May your holidays be bright and may all your grapefruits be white (or red)!

SOURCES:

Has It Ever Snowed in Florida? - WorldAtlas
Citrus Trees Weather Sub-Freezing Nights - Specialty Crop Grower
14 Types Of Grapefruit You Should Know
Grapefruit 101: Nutrition, Benefits, How To Use, Buy, Store | Grapefruit: A Complete Guide - Fas Kitchen
Types of Grapefruit: Pink, Yellow, Green, Sweet and More Varieties
Orange vs. Grapefruit — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison
10 Amazing Benefits of Phosphorus | Organic Facts
6 Health Benefits of Vitamin A, Backed by Science
14 Medications to Avoid Mixing With Grapefruit

Naringenin — Structure, Sources, Health Benefits, and Supplements