The production of the ruby red grapefruit, also called  the Redblush, the ruby, Shary Red, Curry Red, Fowcett Red, Red Radiance and the Webb Grapefruit, has become a huge  citrus business  in the United States of America . 
By 1950, more than 75% of Florida’s production of grapefruit was of ruby red grapefruit of the pink or red seedless variation  as the demand for this citrus  grew  increasingly popular  in the first 50 years of the 1900s and continues to grow to this day.  The seedless variation of the ruby red grapefruit by and large carries  a deeper red color than though with seeds. 
Florida is the  perfect    location  to grow the ruby red grapefruit as the fruit prospers in warm subtropical climates .  Also, the ruby red grapefruit that is cultivated  in Florida is lower  in acidity than that of its competitor cultivators due to the length of time from flowering to fruit maturity.  The high  humidity of Florida also contributes to a thinner outside fruit wall, or peel, and also contributes to a much juicier fruit. 
The Florida ruby red grapefruit crops mainly group in mildly acidic sand with lime additives. They are usually  cultivated  in September or October although they can be ‘stored’ on the tree for months and can be harvested as late as May.  This makes for a nearly yearly supply of the fruit with a peak season of winter into early spring.  The lower hanging ruby red grapefruit are still typically  picked by hand while the  upper   branches are no longer done with hooks to avoid  bruising  the fruit .  Now, these higher growing red grapefruit are cultivated  via mechanical harvesting with a team of 3 employees  .  Ruby red grapefruit trees suffer from the same pests and diseases as orange, lemon and lime trees which include the Caribbean and Mediterranean fruit fly.  It is also extremely susceptible to  different  viruses and citrus cankers and has a long history of voluntary removal of infected trees over the past century.

For the highest  quality, the ruby red grapefruit are kept at just about 65 degrees Fahrenheit for 2 to 3 weeks. Once  bought   it is best  to keep them in your refrigerator in the fruit and vegetable  drawer .  Customarily this has been a breakfast fruit but in the 1970s during the rise of ‘the ruby red grapefruit diet’ they fruit became more widely used across all meals by adding sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg or cloves or slightly broiling it to make it softer for a dessert. 

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Article contributed by Hale Groves, providing fresh fruit baskets, gift baskets and Florida oranges and citrus, including delicious navel oranges, honeybells, ruby red grapefruit, valencia oranges, tangerines and more! Visit HaleGroves.com for more information.