It’s Texas citrus season: 5 savory recipes using oranges and grapefruit Citrus pairs well with veggies, meats and herbs like mint and basil. Texas Greyhound, in a rocks glass, rimmed with pink sea salt, garnished with broiled grapefruit slice and rosemary(Lola Gomez / Staff Photographer) By Karen Elizabeth Watts The Lower Rio Grande Valley has been Texas citrus central since the 1880s. Picked at flavor’s peak, Texas citrus is shipped locally and throughout the U.S. and Canada. The Valley, Texas’ southernmost area, grows about 70% grapefruit and 30% oranges on 32,000 acres. The Texas Red Grapefruit was discovered in the 1920s, and it was adopted by Texas in 1993 as the official state fruit. The Texas Red comes in several trademarked varieties. The peel can be pink, yellow or white, and the fruit is always red.