Grapefruit
In season in the Midwest · steady this week
This fruit is at its local-harvest peak from January through April, and is sold in stores year-round. This week it's in season in the Midwest — buying it in season usually means better quality and, as the regional prices below show, a lower price.
Per a typical 154g serving, scaled from the per-100g figures in USDA FoodData Central (Grapefruit, raw, pink and red and white, all areas).
- How to pick a good one
- Heavy for its size with thin, smooth, slightly springy skin. A puffy, light grapefruit is dry inside. Surface scarring and discolouration are cosmetic and often mark fruit sold cheaper than it deserves.
- What a good price looks like
- Usually $1 to $2 each, or around $1.50 a pound, with peak season from December through May. Under $1.25 each is a good price. Red and pink varieties are sweeter than white and generally cost the same, so there is little reason to buy white.
- What you actually get
- A medium grapefruit is about 400 g and serves two as a half each, or gives roughly two-thirds of a cup of juice. Peel, pith, and membrane are close to 35% of the weight, so the edible fraction is lower than an orange.
- How to store it
- Counter for a week or refrigerated for up to three weeks. Bring it to room temperature before eating; cold mutes the sweetness and leaves only the bitterness.
- In the kitchen
- Cut across the equator rather than through the poles, so the segments are open at the cut face, and run a knife around the inside of the peel and between each membrane before you start — the whole thing then lifts out with a spoon. Broiling a halved grapefruit with a little sugar for five minutes takes the hard edge off a sour one.
- Getting the most out of it
- A pinch of salt on grapefruit suppresses bitterness more effectively than sugar does. Note that grapefruit interacts with a number of common prescription medications, so check if that applies to you before making it a habit.
- Kale Salad with Citrus, Avocado, and FetaRecipe by Two Peas & Their Pod~$1.13 / serving 4 in-season
- Citrus SaladRecipe by Spend With Pennies~$1.80 / serving 4 in-season
- Vitamin C SmoothieRecipe by Eating Bird Food~$1.83 / serving 4 in-season
- Grapefruit Brûlée with Yogurt and Blueberry SauceRecipe by Ambitious Kitchen~$2.19 / serving 3 in-season
- Citrus SaladRecipe by Natasha's Kitchen~$2.31 / serving 6 in-season
- Avocado & Citrus "Ceviche"Recipe by Cookie + Kate~$0.90 / serving 5 in-season
See all 41 recipes with grapefruit →Filter by diet, time, budget, and macros.
Price from the USDA National Retail Report. Nutrition per typical serving, computed from USDA FoodData Central.
Grapefruit — FAQ
When can you buy grapefruit in season?
This fruit is at its local-harvest peak from January through April, and is sold in stores year-round. This week the Midwest has grapefruit marked in season.
What's the price of grapefruit right now?
As of the week of September 4, 2026, the price of grapefruit in the Midwest is $2.50/lb, unchanged from last week. It's cheapest in the Northeast at $2.50/lb.
How many calories and how much protein are in grapefruit?
A typical 154g serving of grapefruit has about 49 calories, 0.9g protein, 12.5g carbohydrates, 0.2g fat, and 1.7g fiber, per USDA FoodData Central.
What can I make with grapefruit?
SeasonSort indexes 41 recipes that use grapefruit, each with its cost per serving computed from this week's prices — starting from about $0.54 a serving. The cheapest are listed on this page, with a link to the full filtered list.