Grapefruit Juice Recipe

Prepare the fruit

Wash the grapefruits under cool running water. Roll each grapefruit firmly on the countertop with the palm of your hand to loosen the juices. Cut each grapefruit in half crosswise.

Juice the grapefruit

Juice the grapefruit halves using a citrus reamer or a manual/ electric juicer over a bowl. If using a reamer, press and twist to extract as much juice as possible. Continue until all halves are juiced. You should get roughly 2 to 2 1/2 cups (480–600 ml) of juice from 4 medium grapefruits, depending on size and ripeness.

Strain (optional)

If you prefer a clearer juice, pour the freshly squeezed juice through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth into a pitcher to remove pulp and seeds. Use a spoon to press the pulp to extract remaining liquid.

Sweeten and balance

Add 2 teaspoons granulated sugar (or an equivalent amount of simple syrup) and a pinch of fine sea salt to the juice. Stir until the sugar dissolves completely. Taste and adjust: add up to 1–2 additional teaspoons sugar or 1–2 tablespoons water if the juice is too tart or concentrated.

Dilute and chill

If the juice is too strong, stir in up to 1 cup cold water, a little at a time, until you reach the desired intensity and volume. Add ice cubes to chill quickly or refrigerate the pitcher for at least 20–30 minutes before serving.

Serve

Pour the grapefruit juice into glasses over ice. Garnish each glass with a sprig of fresh mint if desired. Serve immediately for best flavor.

Storage

Refrigerate any leftover juice in a sealed container for up to 48 hours. Give it a quick stir before serving as separation may occur.