Image via Wikipedia Long before Texas became a state in 1845, it was clear that the land was rich in natural resources. In addition to impressive petroleum reserves, the land also had abundant mineral deposits. Not to mention the fact that the climate made it perfect for farming and growing a myriad of essential agricultural products. At present, Texas is home to more farms with more acreage than any other state in the nation. Today we are going to discuss the history of a relatively small but prosperous industry that owes its success to a natural accident. We are talking…
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Continue ReadingImage by Stefanvds(.com) via Flickr The United States produces nearly one half of the world's grapefruits on an annual basis. By comparison, America is responsible for only about 15 percent most other citrus fruits including the orange, lemon and lime. Why is the U.S. so dominant when it comes to this one particular fruit? Give us a moment to explain. Our story begins on the island of Barbados in 1750 where a Welsh explorer took note of a strange fruit. Years later, botanists would name it grapefruit for the way it grows in clusters, like grapes. They would also determine…
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Continue ReadingMaking your own homemade grapefruit cleaning products costs pennies on the dollar and will leave your home just as clean as chemical based cleaners. Homemade grapefruit cleaning products are also much safer to use around pets and small children than chemical based cleaners. Think about it. Your kids and your pets are close to the floor and are the ones most affected by the fumes and residue from chemical based cleaners. Your pets will lick that residue off their paws everyday, and your kids will inhale it, get it on their hands and feet and their clothes. Making the switch…
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Continue ReadingGrapefruit extract is often added to commercial beauty products because it has a lot of great benefits for skin and it makes bath and beauty products smell delicious. But you can avoid the high price tag of designer bath and beauty products by making your own. Making your own grapefruit beauty products with fresh grapefruit, orange juice, and other citrus fruits is better for your skin and your wallet. If you think that because you haven't made bath and body products before you can't do it you're wrong. It's very easy to make your own all natural products at home.…
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Continue ReadingImage by Stefanvds(.com) via Flickr The grapefruit is a subtropical citrus fruit that was first documented on the island of Barbados in 1750 by a Welsh explorer. Several decades later the grapefruit was brought to Florida. A few years later that it came to Texas and that is where our story begins. The history of the grapefruit in Texas begins and ends in the Rio Grande Valley. It was in this region in South Texas that farmers soon discovered they had more or less perfect conditions for growing the new fruit. The first crops were planted in 1893 and they…
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Continue ReadingImage via Wikipedia Anytime that you want to revitalize your body and cleanse the toxins that have built up in your body from a poor diet and lots of stress you should stock up on grapefruit. Grapefruit is a low calorie fruit that has a lot of significant health benefits. There are three varieties of grapefruit so you can find one that will fit your individual tastes. You can also eat all three varieties during a grapefruit cleanse in order to keep yourself from getting bored. A grapefruit cleanse can be tough, but it's a great way to flush out…
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Continue ReadingJust like most produce, there are so many varieties of grapefruit that unless you are an expert, you probably could not name all of them. Even an expert may have trouble naming all the varieties and strains off the top of their head. But one variety that has become quite famous since it was introduced during the Depression is Texas grapefruit. The very first Texas grapefruits were the white seeded variety. Soon nature took its course and pink varieties were showing up naturally on the green, waxy-leafed trees that bear Texas grapefruit. After some lab tinkering in a college agricultural…
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Continue ReadingIf you ate a little more than you should have this holiday season don't worry, grapefruit can help you recover and get back on a healthy diet. It's easy for people to overdo it during the holidays where there is so much great food everywhere and they are surrounded by treats that they don't get at any other time of the year. Rich food, super sweet desserts, and high calorie cocktails are delicious during the holidays but leave a painful reminder of the past in the form of a few extra pounds, fatigue, sluggishness, and some regret. This year start…
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A relatively recent addition to the citrus family of fruit, the grapefruit was first spotted on the island of Barbados in 1750. A cross between a pommel and a Jamaican sweet orange, it was named for the way it grew in clusters like grapes. Called “the forbidden fruit” or the shaddock for most of its history, the grapefruit came to America in 1823.Unlike other earlier citrus fruits–the orange, the lemon, and the lime–it received a rather cold reception. Although swimming in citrus at the time, most fruit lovers in Florida found the grapefruit to be too sour to enjoy on…
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Continue ReadingGrapefruits grow best in subtropical climates. In fact, it's in their “genes.” Grapefruits were first thought to be discovered in the Caribbean; specifically on the island of Jamaica. Back then the fruit was called a shaddock. Once this citrus fruit was brought to the Unites States, it was renamed the grapefruit because of its resemblance to growing bunches of grapes, albeit very large “grapes.” Today, the US is the world's leading producer of grapefruit accounting for nearly 40% of the total global crop. The scientific name for a grapefruit is citrus paradise; which has a nice ring to it! The…