Grapefruits are a citrus fruit from the grapefruit tree.

• botanical information
• nutritional information
• selection
• storage
• juicing
• essential oil
• Chinese herbology

botanical information:

    Botanical name: Citrus paradisi

    Common name: grapefruit

    Use the botanical name when ordering seeds (bulbs, etc.) or when looking up information in the library. Common names vary by nation, culture, and region, and sometimes the same common name is applied to different plants.

nutritional information:

    Limonoids are a terpene subclass found in citrus peels. Studies suggest that limonoids help clean and protect the lungs.

    Grapefruit juice might be helpful in lowering cholesterol.

    See also Chinese herbalism below for Chinese gender and Chinese flavor.

     

cooking information:

selection:

    Reason to choose organic:
    Grapefruit has the number 27 highest pesticide load of 45 common fruits and vegetables studied in 2006 by the Environmental Working Group and is therefore a prime candidate for switching to organic. The EWA explains, “While washing and rinsing fresh produce may reduce levels of some pesticides, it does not eliminate them. Peeling also reduces exposures, but valuable nutrients often go down the drain with the peel. The best option is to eat a varied diet, wash all produce, and choose organic when possible to reduce exposure to potentially harmful chemicals.”
    According to USDA and FDA tests on commercially grown foods collected between 2000 and 2005, grapefruit has a 62.9% (percentage) of samples tested with detectable pesticides, a 15.2% (percentage) of samples with two or more pesticides, a 0.8 average number of pesticides found in a sample, an average of 0.056 parts per million of all pesticides found, and 9 different pesticides found in use growing grapefruit. These toxic pesticides don’t apply to organic foods.

storage:

    Storage: Eat grapefruits within a week (seven days) of purchase.

    Juicing: Grapefruit juice ranges in flavor from bitter-sour to sour-sweet. Grapefruit juice can help add a mildly sour balance to sweeter juices, such as mango. Pink grapefruits produce sweeter juice than ordinary yellow grapefruits.

essential oil:

    Essential Oil: Grapefruit essential oil can be used for both aromatherapy and magick.
    Aromatherapy Uses: burnout, confidence, depression, exhaustion, fatigue, fear, happiness, peace, stress

    Using essential oils: Essential oils are just too concentrated and too expensve to use without dilution. If you purchase pure essential oil from a source such as Mountain Rose, you will want to place just a drop or two into a neutral carrier vegetable oil or jojoba. This conservation is typical of the use of essential oils in spells and other magick. It is wise to test a bit of any essential oil on your inner wrist before use. If any irritation occurs, do not use the essential oil. Keep essential oils out of reach of children and pets and away from heat and light. See the article on essential oils for detailed information on how to mix and use essential oils.

Chinese herbalism:

    Chinese gender: yin (cool)

    Chinese flavor: sweet

    Chinese flavor: slightly sour

cautions and contraindications:

    Cautions and contraindications: Grapefruit can clash with some medications, such as calcium-channel blockers and some chemotherapies.

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