Name: Grapefruit Syrup
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 3
Cuisine: North American
Ingredients: 6 - 7 pink grapefruit, large (about 4 cups of juice and pulp together); 2 1/2 c white sugar; 2 tsp ginger powder

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Homemade Grapefruit Syrup. When this citrus is in season, THIS is the recipe to make. Sweet and a bit tart, its balance is perfect. It’s so incredibly delicious, I may or may not have eaten just off a spoon.

Don’t judge me.

Two jars of grapefruit syrup stacked on top of eachother.

I grew up eating grapefruit, and I still really enjoy them today. But for a long time, I thought – what else can you do with them except cut them in half and eat them?

It wasn’t until my mom became a snowbird (to Arizona). We were always amazed at all the fruit that grows in people’s backyards. Grapefruits, oranges, lemons, etc. I was in awe!

Those little trees were powerhouse production plants were amazing and at the height of production, people would box up the fruits and leave them with a sign “free” for anyone who wanted them. I was in my glory!!!

Making Grapefruit Syrup

I had about 6 large pink grapefruits to use up. I peeled them, being sure to get as much of the white pith off as possible. Section them with a sharp knife. Holding the fruit in one hand, make clean cuts on either side of the sections where you see the membranes.
Follow along the natural curves of the grapefruit section and slice the pieces into a bowl. When you’re done slicing the fruit, give the leftover membranes a really good squeeze over the fruit. You don’t want to lose any of that great flavor!

Mashing the grapefruit after breaking them down in the pot.

Ading sugar to the pot of cooked grapefruit.

Heat the fruit in a heavy pot over medium heat. When it comes to a boil, add the sugar and begin stirring to dissolve.
If there is any foam that begins to form on the top, simply skim it off with a spoon. Boil the syrup for about 5 – 8 minutes or so, or until it becomes a bit thicker in consistency.
Spoon into containers and let cool. If you don’t like the pulp in the syrup (which I do, I love that texture!) – simply strain the syrup through a sieve once it’s cooled.

It’s like eating sunshine in a bottle!

A jar of grapefruit syrup on a citrus printed napkin.

Please refer to the printable recipe card below for exact amounts, detailed instructions, and helpful tips to make this recipe perfect every time.

Pink Grapefruit Syrup - Like having your own bit of sweet sunshine! A perfect combination of sweet and tart! — Grapefruit syrup with the pulp still included (Not strained).

Serving Sunshine Citrus Syrup

You could use this syrup on all sorts of things! As you can see, I used it to top vanilla ice cream, which was simply divine! The sweetness, the tartness, the creaminess from the cream, oh… I could go on and on. Simply divine I tell you!

Here are some other ideas:

Topping for pancakes and waffles after you make your own butter!
Add to some plain seltzer for a refreshing drink
Add some vodka, seltzer, and the syrup for a yummy summer cocktail
Cheesecake topping
Drizzle a bit on top of a savory fried pork chop!
Add a few tablespoons to a stir fry for a citrus-sweet hint when combined with soy sauce!

Of course, you could use regular grapefruits as well for this recipe, but I highly recommend using pink grapefruit. It’s a bit sweeter, so you need to use less sugar.

Give this unique pink grapefruit syrup a try and let me know what you think. I’d love to hear how you use it!!!

You know one of my favorite things to do is to make “make my own”… So here are few other things that I’ve made homemade that you could try!

How to make your own ketchup
No Knead Dutch Oven Bread
How to make the easiest caramel sauce ever!