The Science behind the Texas Grapefruit

Image by Salim Virji via Flickr

The grapefruit came to Texas in the early 19th century. It was brought from Florida by Spanish missionaries who stopped in South Texas near the Rio Grande Valley. What they did not and could not know is that this region is one of the best in the world for cultivating grapefruits. The reason for this is simple: South Texas has a subtropical climate and the grapefruit is a subtropical fruit.

Still, it wasn't until 1893 that the first grapefruit crop was planted in Texas. It soon became a tasty and popular treat for the local population. But the Texas grapefruit was little more than an exotic fruit in a foreign land until a successful developer invested in them. His name was John H. Shary and he firmly believed that the grapefruit was the Texas crop of the future.

Several decades later, a simple mutation on a pink grapefruit tree nearly fulfilled this prophecy. This new Texas grapefruit was red in color and it was also said to be much sweeter than the standard white or pink grapefruit. The new red variety, later dubbed the “Ruby,” essentially gave birth to the Texas grapefruit industry.

This was 1929, and farmers immediately began to scour their orchards for redder and redder bud mutations. And when they found them, they would plant them and grow even redder Texas grapefruit. Most of these new mutations and strains were named after the growers who cultivated them and they were sold under the name that had become synonymous with Texas grapefruit, the “Ruby.”

The only problem was that all of these new varieties of grapefruits, combined with all of the other citrus fruits coming out of Texas, began to confuse consumers. Perhaps that is why the state officially eliminated the white and pink varieties and focused only on the Ruby after 1962.

The Texas grapefruit even made its way into the lab where scientists and botanists attempted to produce the reddest variety of grapefruit on earth. The work was completed at the Texas A&I citrus centers where experts created mutations through a process known as ionizing radiation.

It wasn't long before these programs bore fruit, literally. The Star Ruby variety was introduced in 1970 followed by the most famous Texas grapefruit, the Rio Red in 1984. But again, the inventors and industry insiders were confronted with another serious dilemma. At the time, there were several different Texas grapefruit that were being sold under the name Ruby. And the creators naturally feared that their new varieties would get lost in the shuffle.

That is why scientists, famers and marketing executives all agreed to sell the two most distinctive varieties under names that had received registered trademarks–the Rio Star and the Ruby-Sweet. Both varieties of Texas grapefruit have been a tremendous success.

Farm Fresh Gifts Since 1926

For nearly a century, Pittman & Davis has shared the bold, sun-kissed flavors of the Rio Grande Valley and beyond. From tree-ripened citrus to smoked meats, pastries, and handcrafted specialties, every gift reflects the land it comes from, the people who craft it, and the unforgettable taste it delivers.

Shop Now