Pro-Tips: Mastering Florida Citrus at Home
Your Essential Guide to Prepping, Plating, and Pairing
Whether you’re shaking up a Florida Grapefruit Brandy Sour or searing fresh Scallops, the secret to success lies in how you handle the fruit. Florida Citrus is prized for its high juice content and thin skin—here is how to make the most of every segment.
1. The Art of the “Supreme” (Citrus Segments)
To get those beautiful, membrane-free segments seen in our Burrata Salad, you need to “supreme” the fruit.
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The Technique: Slice off the top and bottom of the grapefruit. Stand it upright and use a sharp knife to carve away the peel and white pith following the curve of the fruit. Finally, slice between the membranes to release the pure segments.
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Pro-Tip: Do this over a bowl to catch all the extra juice—it’s liquid gold for your Grapefruit Butter Sauce.
2. Temperature Matters for Juicing
Maximum juice yield is the goal for a perfect Brandy Sour.
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The Hack: Never juice a cold grapefruit. Roll the room-temperature fruit firmly against the counter with your palm for 10 seconds before cutting. This breaks the tiny juice vesicles and gives you up to 20% more juice.
3. Balancing the Bittersweet
Florida Grapefruit is naturally sweet but carries that signature sophisticated bitterness.
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In Cocktails: If your grapefruit is particularly tart, add a tiny pinch of salt to your shaker. Salt suppresses bitterness and actually enhances the perception of sweetness.
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In Savory Dishes: When making the Grapefruit Butter Sauce for scallops, whisk in cold butter cubes one at a time. The fat in the butter mellows the acidity of the citrus, creating a velvety finish.
4. Don’t Toss the Zest
The essential oils are in the skin, not the juice.
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Usage: Use a microplane to zest your citrus before juicing it. Add that zest to the burrata salad or use it to rim your cocktail glass for an aromatic punch that hits before the first sip.
Ready to Cook?
Now that you’ve mastered the prep, it’s time to put these skills to the test with our signature recipes.
