BARTOW, Fla. \u2013 With Florida Grapefruit season in full swing, the unique taste of Florida-grown citrus is now available in stores across the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But, for those who wish to enjoy the sweeter side\u00a0of nature, a little patience goes a long way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As temperatures dip, Florida grapefruit grow sweeter and juicier, reaching peak season beginning in January.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s at peak season when Florida Grapefruit really shine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Extra time spent in Florida\u2019s sub-tropical climate enhances its\u00a0sweet taste, creating a\u00a0grapefruit that appeals to a wide range\u00a0of palates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMany regions around the world produce grapefruit,\u201d said Doug Ackerman, executive director of the Florida Department of Citrus. \u201cBut the\u00a0same thing that makes Florida everyone\u2019s favorite travel destination is what makes our grapefruit amazing. Our\u00a0climate can\u2019t be beat.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Much of Florida\u2019s grapefruit is grown in the Indian River region of the state. Located on the east coast of Florida, the Indian River stretches more than 200 miles south from Daytona to West Palm Beach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The area is home to the Anastasia Formation, a geologic formation composed of sand and coquina limestone. The formation\u2019s positioning just below ground allows the root system of citrus trees to tap into essential minerals and nutrients during the growing cycle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Combined with a flat terrain and high water table, these unique attributes create ideal\u00a0growing conditions for grapefruit and contribute to the fruit\u2019s high quality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While the landscape is beautiful, the fruit isn\u2019t always.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe sun, humidity and rains that help enhance the taste of grapefruit during Florida\u2019s growing season can blemish its\u00a0exterior appearance,\u201d said Mike Garavaglia, a Florida Grapefruit grower and packer based in the Indian River region.\u00a0\u201cI like to remind people that while Florida Grapefruit may not look as pretty on the outside, it certainly tastes better.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The proof is in the response Florida Grapefruit receives worldwide, said Michael Schadler, director of international marketing at the FDOC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Florida\u00a0growers ship their fruit across the country and around the globe. More than 57 percent of Florida Grapefruit is shipped out of the United States with Japan being the biggest export\u00a0market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Besides great taste, one of the key reasons so many people enjoy Florida Grapefruit is its nutritional benefits. Rich in vitamin C, just half of a medium grapefruit fulfills 100 percent of the daily recommended value.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Because the season is\u00a0long and the taste of the fruit varies throughout the season, Florida Grapefruit is also a versatile ingredient in many dishes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cEarly in the season, when its sugar content is lower, Florida Grapefruit is a great tangy compliment\u00a0to sweet or salty dishes. Year-round, 100% Florida Grapefruit Juice can be enjoyed alone or as an ingredient,\u201d Schadler said. \u201cBut, when Florida Grapefruit is in peak season, there is no better way to enjoy it than with a spoon \u2013 no sugar needed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While this year\u2019s\u00a0Florida Grapefruit crop\u00a0is projected to be down slightly, with 15 million boxes expected by the end of the season, there are\u00a0indicators that grapefruit production is stabilizing after several years of steep declines. Those declines have been\u00a0in large part due to the devastating effect citrus greening has had on the industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A bacterial disease spread by a tiny insect, citrus greening has no known cure. However, growers are continuing to find innovative treatments to sustain production numbers and improve the quality of Florida Grapefruit, and millions of dollars are being poured into scientific research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDespite facing enormous challenges, Florida\u2019s citrus industry has remained resilient,\u201d Ackerman said. \u201cFlorida Grapefruit still offers the best experience to consumers \u2013 something to keep in mind\u00a0as we approach peak Florida Grapefruit season.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
About the Florida Department of Citrus<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Florida Department of Citrus is an executive agency of Florida government charged with the marketing, research and regulation of the Florida citrus industry.\u00a0 Its activities are funded by a tax paid by growers on each box of citrus that moves through commercial channels.\u00a0 The industry employs nearly 76,000 people, provides an annual economic impact close to $9 billion to the state, and contributes hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenues that help support Florida\u2019s schools, roads and health care services. For more information about the Florida Department of Citrus, please visit\u00a0FloridaCitrus.org<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" With the arrival of peak season beginning in January, Florida Grapefruit really shine. BARTOW, Fla. \u2013 With Florida Grapefruit season in full swing, the unique taste of Florida-grown citrus is […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":625,"template":"","fdoc_news_item_category":[],"fdoc_citrus_type":[],"fdoc_health_category":[],"class_list":["post-668","fdoc-news-item","type-fdoc-news-item","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.floridacitrus.org\/grower\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/fdoc-news-item\/668","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.floridacitrus.org\/grower\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/fdoc-news-item"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.floridacitrus.org\/grower\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/fdoc-news-item"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.floridacitrus.org\/grower\/wp-json\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.floridacitrus.org\/grower\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=668"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"fdoc_news_item_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.floridacitrus.org\/grower\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/fdoc_news_item_category?post=668"},{"taxonomy":"fdoc_citrus_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.floridacitrus.org\/grower\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/fdoc_citrus_type?post=668"},{"taxonomy":"fdoc_health_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.floridacitrus.org\/grower\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/fdoc_health_category?post=668"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}