How to Grapefruitade

 

illustrated by Owen Lee

Despite its bitterness, grapefruit is loved by many for its sour and semi-sweet flavor that satisfies the tongue. Just like lemonade, grapefruit Ade is one of the best drinks that I have ever tasted (ofc it’s homemade). Unfortunately, there are only a few restaurants that sell grapefruit-Ade. Most of the grapefruit-Ade are sold in the form of grapefruit juice (usually the grocery stores), not the frizzy sweet homemade grapefruit-Ade. It has a tangy flavor giving a bit of a ‘kick’ which is slightly less than that of lemonade, but it is rich in flavor and mouth-watering drink that you will enjoy throughout the seasons.

Like lemonade, you have to make a grapefruit syrup to mix with carbonated water (no sugar added). However, the process of preparing the fruit is different from lemonade. So let’s begin.

Ingredients for grapefruit syrup:

1.      Bag of grapefruit roughly 5lbs which is about 10 grapefruits

2.      500g of white sugar (it’s like ¼ of your usually 2 kg white sugar bag from the grocery)

3.      1 jar of honey (roughly 500g as well – I recommend the great value liquid honey if you are saving costs)

4.      One pinch of salt

Ingredients for grapefruit:

1.      3-5 big spoons of THE syrup (mentioned above)

2.      Carbonated water (no additives in it)

3.      And ICE

So here are the steps!

1.      In a large bowl, add all the grapefruits and fill it with water so that the grapefruits are completely in water.

2.      Add one big spoon of baking soda and a small cup of vinegar in the bowl (the amount doesn’t matter as long of the vinegar fizzes with the baking soda). This is to clean the outer layer of the fruit.

3.      Let it sit inside the solution for 10 minutes.

4.      Wash the grapefruits with running water thoroughly.

5.      Pat them dry with kitchen towel and start peeling the outer layer. (TIP: slice the top and bottom part of the fruit, it peels off so much easier)

6.      Remove the thick peel and thinner layer (white part that separates each flesh) by hand.

7.      Put all the flesh of grapefruit into a bowl then gently squeeze and break the flesh into

small pieces (finer the pieces, easier for them to saturate with sugar and honey)

8.      Add 500 g of white sugar and 500 g of honey into the bowl.

9.      Add a pinch of salt (don’t put too much salt in or else your grapefruit-Ade will end up tasting gross).

10. Mix everything with a spoon or spatula (or whatever tool you have) to mix them.

11. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap so that no bugs or dust enter.

12. Let it sit for about 5 hours so that it completely saturates the grapefruit.

13. Transfer the mixture into your favorite glass jars (needs to be sterile – make sure you boil them). And seal tight! Now you have the whole grapefruit syrup which will last you for at least 3 to 4 months.

14. Add 3-4 big spoons of the syrup to a cup.

15. Pour a can of carbonated water into the cup then mix.

16. Finish it off with ICE. VOILA here is your grapefruit-Ade. 

Grapefruit, along with lemon, is well-known for its vitamins C. It helps with stress-relief, strengthening the immune system, and skin acne. For people who dislike the taste of bitterness, try grapefruit-Ade! I highly recommend it for children. Invest your time to make a homemade drink instead of buying commercially sold fruit juice with often contains many chemical additives.