7 Things You Never Knew Your Grapefruit Spoon Could Do

Updated on 2/19/2017 at 11:00 AM

POPSUGAR Photography | Alicia Lu

When most people think of a grapefruit spoon, their very first thought might be, "What's a grapefruit spoon?" It's certainly not your average kitchen tool, and you won't easily find it in the kitchen aisle at most general department stores alongside the can openers and spatulas. (Indeed, I had to venture to a specialty store to purchase mine.) That's because the grapefruit spoon, as handy and effective as it is in its namesake purpose of scooping out grapefruit flesh, is generally considered a bit of a luxury item that many people might not even think to own. Scooping out a grapefruit with a regular spoon is not an insurmountable task, after all.

However, there's an even better-kept secret about the grapefruit spoon than the spoon itself: it's impressively versatile and multipurpose. Think about it: grapefruits are hardly the only foods that need scooping. Plus, the serrated edges of the grapefruit spoon make it quite the formidable scraper, too. If more people knew of all the different tasks the grapefruit spoon could tackle, it might very well become a household item one day (move over, vegetable peeler).

Here are seven hacks to try with the highly underrated grapefruit spoon.

Scoop Out Melon and Squash Seeds

Let's get one thing straight: the grapefruit spoon is built for scooping, and no job is too tough for it, not even the slimy seeds of a melon or squash. I don't know about you, but I have one or two spoons that are now traumatized from getting tangled in the web-like guts of an acorn squash or the slippery mass of seeds in a canary melon. But since a grapefruit spoon has sharp, serrated sides, it cuts through the mess to scoop out the seeds effortlessly.

De-Stem

The serrated sides aren't the grapefruit spoon's only secret weapon, however. Its sharp and rounded tip is another useful characteristic, perfect for cutting into a small round object to remove, say, a stem. Next time you need to de-stem strawberries, a jalapeño pepper, or a zucchini, skip the knife and try your new grapefruit spoon instead.

Grate Cheese

Cheese graters are fantastic tools that unfailingly get the job done, but they also come with the annoying hassle of scrubbing cheese residue off their rough grates. If you want some shaved parmesan on your pasta but would rather avoid this headache, try grating cheese with a grapefruit spoon instead. It does an equally superb job and the cleanup is infinitely easier.

Scoop Out Avocado

Fact: avocados are precious. So don't waste even a tiny bit. Sometimes, however, the flesh can be tough to scoop out, especially if it's not fully ripe. Does that mean you should just leave some behind? Not at all. You take a grapefruit spoon and you dig it into that sweet, sweet avocado flesh. Again, the serrated power of the mighty grapefruit spoon will be a lifesaver here. It will help you scoop out even the toughest underripe avocado.

Peel Ginger

This one came as a real shocker to me. Never in a million years would I ever imagine anything peeling a vegetable better than a vegetable peeler (what a time to be alive!). I was hit with this revelation when I took a grapefruit spoon to a piece of ginger and effortlessly and efficiently scraped the skin off without taking too much of the flesh with it.

This technique is especially helpful when the vegetable is smaller than six inches, like a piece of ginger. No longer will you accidentally nick your finger on a vegetable peeler; by using a grapefruit spoon, your digits are well clear of danger.

Scoop Out Kiwis

Like avocados, kiwi flesh can be a bit stubborn and tough to scoop out cleanly. Oftentimes you have to go back in for several tries with a regular spoon, but with a grapefruit spoon, you can get more out with each attempt.

Shave Chocolate

All you need to impress someone with fancy dessert is . . . a grapefruit spoon. This is perhaps the most unexpected, and impressive, use for the tool: you can use it to shave chocolate ribbons for your desserts! All you have to do is drag the tip of the spoon down the side of a chocolate bar and neat little chocolate ribbons fall off like magic. As you can see, you can get some serious mileage out of a grapefruit spoon and its serrated edges.