How to Cut a Grapefruit: Halves, Segments and Supremes

Pick the finish before you start: a grapefruit half is easiest to eat with a spoon, peeled sections can be separated by hand, and membrane-free segments (supremes) are useful for a salad or recipe. Wash the outside first, then cut on a steady board.

A halved grapefruit showing its pink flesh and radial segments. — A grapefruit half shows the segments and central pith. Photo by J.smith (Justin Smith), via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0; resized without cropping.

Wash and halve it for a spoon

Rinse the whole grapefruit under clean running water and dry it. The FDA recommends washing produce before peeling or cutting. Set the fruit on its side on the board and slice crosswise through the middle. For a neater spoonful, run a small knife around the edge of each half and along both sides of each segment before serving.

For sections with the membranes left on

Peel the grapefruit by hand as you would an orange, remove loose white pith, and pull the sections apart along their natural divisions. Set each section on the board before cutting it smaller.

For membrane-free segments

Trim a thin slice from the top and bottom so the fruit has flat ends.
Stand it on one flat end. Follow the curve to cut the peel and thick white pith away in sections from top to bottom. Turn the grapefruit only while it sits securely on the board.
Keep the peeled fruit standing on its flat end. Find a segment membrane and cut down alongside it toward the board; cut down alongside the neighboring membrane to release that segment. Repeat around the fruit, keeping the holding hand clear of the blade path.

The membranes can be tougher and more bitter than the juicy centers, so membrane-free segments are useful when a recipe calls for them. Transfer each piece to a bowl after cutting.

Cut pieces for a recipe

For bite-size pieces, set a peeled segment or membrane-free section on the board and cut it crosswise. Use a gentle stroke: the flesh is tender and can break if pressed hard. Keep the holding fingertips curled and outside the path of the blade. Transfer the pieces with the knife’s broad side or a spoon rather than lifting a slippery stack.

For safe grips, basic cut shapes and practice drills, see our beginner knife-skills guide.

Sources: Utah State University Extension, Fruit and Vegetable Guide Series: Grapefruit (washing, spoon halves, peeling and membrane removal); FDA produce-washing guidance; Utah State University Extension knife-safety basics.