How to Segment an Orange

Segmenting (or supreming) citrus is a great way to remove the bitter taste of the pith & dress up any dish. This is a basic knife skill you can master with a bit of practice in one day! Use a sharp chef‘s or parring knife to get clean cuts.

1| Slice off the top and bottom of the orange enough to see the flesh.

2| Bracing the now flat side against the cutting board, work your knife between the skin and flesh trying to follow the curves of oranges as closely as possible. (The fruit left on the skin is a nice snack if you can’t wait until you’re done segmenting. That might be me every time…)

3| With the skin successfully removed, cut the orange segments away from the pith.

Some cooks like to keep the orange in hand (like pitting an avocado), some like to leave the orange on the cutting board. I found that holding it in hand gave me better control & access.

Halfway around the orange you’ll start to wonder why is this step necessary…

4| You made it! Two options: you can take a bite out of the pith leftovers to understand why this was worth it… OR squeeze out all the juices left behind and save it. (First time segmenting an orange, I took a bite of the pith. I will never doubt again.)