How To

How to Peel an Orange

By eHow Food & Drink Editor

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With this method of peeling an orange, you won't get your hands covered in juice or peel under your fingernails. If your aim is to "section" the orange (remove all the membrane to use chunks in salads or other recipes), you'll find instructions here as well.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

  • Sharp Kitchen Knife
  • Oranges

Peeling an Orange to Eat

Step1
Use a paring knife to carefully cut a circle of rind off of the top and bottom of the orange.
Step2
Use the knife to score the orange rind and white pith in approximately 1-inch sections, pulling the knife across the rind from the top of the orange to the bottom of the orange. Or, if you have a lot of manual dexterity, cut the rind in a spiral as shown here. Don't cut into the flesh.
Step3
Peel each orange rind section away from the flesh of the orange.
Step4
Separate the orange into sections and eat.

Sectioning an Orange

Step1
Hold the orange over a bowl to catch the juice.
Step2
Use a paring knife to remove all the peel, white pith, and membrane from outside the orange. The orange flesh should be exposed.
Step3
For each section, cut between the fruit and membrane on each side. Lift out each segment and drop it into the bowl.

Tips & Warnings

  • Orange sections are good for salads and cooking, when you don't want the membrane barrier.

Who Can Help:

Comments

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NYFuzz said

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on 7/3/2008 Tossing the rind into your garbage disposal and running warm water as the disposal runs will clean the disposal and give a wonderful scent to the disposal.

Grizdor said

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on 6/7/2007 Squeezing the orange (fairly hard) before you peel it makes the peel come off easier.

said

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on 11/22/2005 If you hit the orange lightly against a wall, it will be easier to peel. (The softer it is, the easier to peel.)

said

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on 11/22/2005 Turn spoon over so you're looking at the bottom of it, break open peel, insert spoon and wiggle away. Go in any direction.

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eHow Article: How to Peel an Orange

eHow Food & Drink Editor

Category: Food & Drink

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