How to Carve Orange Fruit

A carved orange is an attractive addition to a variety of dishes.

Garnishing food with fruit carvings is a practical way of enhancing your meal's presentation. Not only does it make your dish look pretty, you can eat the decorations too. Commonly used fruits and vegetables are tomatoes, watermelons, carrots, and melons, since they do not change their color even when their flesh is exposed to the air. But oranges are also carved to serve as food garnishing and can provide a fragrant smell to your dish. All you need is a sharp paring knife, your orange and a lot of imagination.

Instructions

1. Buy several oranges so that you have lots of material to practice with.

   Choose oranges that are fresh and firm to the touch, with intact and uniformly-colored skins. Wash the oranges in cool water and let them dry on a colander, or use paper towels to dry them quickly if you do not have much time.

2. Think about the dish that you will garnish and incorporate aspects of the dish into the orange carving design.

   For example, if you are making a Halloween dish, then carve out a mini Jack-o-lantern design on your oranges, instead of just having them on the pumpkins. Designs such as stripes, spirals or flower-shapes are safe, go-to designs for regular dishes.

3. Sketch the design on paper first, taking into consideration the size of the orange.

   Longer, curved lines are easier to achieve with oranges, compared to smaller, finer details such as carved letters or fine swirls. Take note that orange peels are thick and sturdy so you will need to dig in deep if you want to show the flesh of the fruit in your carving.

4. Carve the design using the tip of the paring knife.

   Make shallow incisions on the skin of the orange first, before you dig in deeper to take out the rind and expose the flesh. Be careful of squirting orange extracts when you do the carving since it can sting your eyes. Split the orange into two to make an orange bowl or cut the orange into wedges and spread them fan-like across the plate to enhance your carving design.

5. Place the carved orange on a plate along with the dish that it is to accompany.

Tips & Warnings

• Save the peels for potpourri.

References

• Simply Sensational Food: Orange Carving Create n Carve Fruit
• Vegetable Fruit Carving: Edible Fruit Bouquets
• Mighty Guide: How to Carve Fruit