Canning Texas Ruby Red Grapefruit

This is the season when Texas citrus are ripe. It is surprisingly easy to can fresh grapefruit  (or oranges) - and it tastes so fresh when we open it in the summer, when the refreshing sweet flavor is welcome for breakfast on a bright summer morning! These videos show how I do it!

End of the Year Grocery Bargains To Look For After The Holidays

December and January are the best time of year to buy some things... check out the bargains I found, that are probably available in your stores too!

How To Section a Grapefruit (or an Orange) and Remove the Membranes

I nearly forgot to share this. and here we are in Texas Citrus Season again. The sweetest, most amazing grapefruits in the whole world are those grown in Texas. The flavor of Texas citrus is unsurpassed.

 Paul showed me how to section a grapefruit a few years ago, and it is brilliant. He was smart: now, when the Texas Ruby Red Grapefruits are ripe, I section a whole bag of them and put them in a big jar in the fridge. So he can just dish them out for breakfast.

This method can also be used for oranges, and will really improve your Ambrosia (with or without marshmallows ;-)).

Here's how:

Using a sharp knife, cut off the ends and down each side of the grapefruit, removing all the rind and white and exposing the fruit.

Work over a large, shallow bowl to catch all the yummy juice. This is a messy task. Wear  your old apron and have a dishtowel handy.

Hold the peeled grapefruit in your "off" hand (non-dominant) and run the knife blade carefully down between the membrane and one section. When you reach the bottom of that section, slide the knife along and up the other side of  the same section, so that the single section is separated and will drop into the bowl.

Repeat until all are removed. It sounds a lot harder than it is - in reality, the sections slide away from the membrane easily. Do be careful with the knife though. No need to hurry or take risks. I am a lefthanded clutz, so often I will use a serrated knife (with ambidextrous or lefty serrations) to avoid cutting myself.

When all are done, remove all the seeds and put into a clean mason jar, and refrigerate. I don't know how long they will keep, because we always eat them all within 3 or 4 days!

The Last of Summer

There's been a change in the air all week. Autumn is coming. Paul mentioned this morning that the days are already getting shorter. Around the blogosphere people are talking about it. Perhaps it is just that school has started, that September 22nd will be the first day of Fall. It seems early though. Especially for Texas.

Well I think we have waited long enough to eat the last watermelon from my garden! We have really enjoyed these melons, and they were so easy. I put down plastic, and cut holes for the plants, so no weeds. They didn't need much water either but when necessary, I just stuck the hose under the edge of the plastic and let it soak.



I learned by pure accident that the easiest way to eat a watermelon is with a grapefruit spoon. The pointed end cuts into the melon and slides right between the seeds.

If you haven't seen one, the bowls of grapefruit spoons are narrower than tea spoons and are shaped sort of like a teardrop.


It makes a world of difference - plus it is so nice to have a second reason to use grapefruit spoons!

And right now it is time to celebrate the last of the summer foods with this lovely yellow meated watermelon.

Bon appetite! :-)