Seasons/Availability
Melogold grapefruit is typically available December through April.
Current Facts
California Citrus Specialties (CCS) is located in Porterville, California, and was founded by Michael and Barbara Foskett and Lance and Laura Walheim in 1985. Pioneering in the introduction and marketing of specialty citrus, CCS has successfully produced Melogold and Oro Blanco grapefruit plus many other varieties of exceptional citrus. Walheim and Foskett farm over 25 acres of specialty citrus in addition to representing San Joaquin Valley citrus growers. Lance Walheim is author of "Citrus: The Complete Guide to Growing Over 100 Varieties" and over thirty other horticultural and gardening titles.
Description/Taste
Wrapped in a yellow-green smooth rind and varying in size, the extraordinary Melogold grapefruit can grow over six inches in diameter and weigh up to several pounds. A delicious cross between a pummelo and a grapefruit, it offers a sweet juicy pummelo-like flavor and has few to no seeds. Easy to peel, its rind is thicker than that of a typical grapefruit. Tasting more like a pummelo, it often has an open center amidst its generous fruit segments. Slow to fully color, this fruit is frequently harvested partially green. If the trees are young, the fruit's flavor is often inconsistent.
Nutritional Value
An excellent source of vitamin C and potassium, this nutritious fruit is very low in sodium. Eating five daily servings of fruits and vegetables lowers the risk of cancer.
Applications
For the adventurous, cook and bake with grapefruit. Use juice to flavor sauces. Milder and sweeter, use like fresh lemon. Squeeze juice on grilled fish. Candy the peel. For a pretty fruit cup, sprinkle sections with granulated or powdered sugar; top with a colorful red cherry. Excellent in all types of salads, add life to shrimp, chicken, tuna, spinach, Chef and Waldorf. For a salad enhancement, marinate sections in dressing before serving. Add its flavorful personality to cottage cheese or crisp raw vegetables. Pour a warm light sugar syrup over sections for a taste treat. To store, keep at room temperature only a day or two. Refrigerate for longer storage.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
It is in Japan where this fruit is especially loved in its green stage.
Geography/History
It was in the late 1950s at the University of California at Riverside when researchers experimented with pummelo-grapefruit crosses and successfully developed two deliciously valuable new varieties. One is the special Melogold; the other, the tasty Oro Blanco. Each fruit has its very own personal characteristics. The Melogold is larger and heavier and produces larger segments plus has a thinner rind. This fairly new fruit sensation grows in clusters inside large energetic vigorous trees that bear rich deep green large leaves. Not taking a liking to cold temperatures, it is in the beautiful Central Valley of California where Melogold grapefruit trees and fruit love the ideal growing conditions and climate, bearing fruit at a rather young age.
Featured Recipes
Recipes that include MeloGold Grapefruit. One
is easiest, three is harder.
