Nothing beats sinking your teeth deep into the delicious flesh of an orange as a youngster, savoring every drop of juice that isn’t busy streaming down your chin and over your clothing. Although my affection for oranges did not disappear as I got older, my enjoyment of the delicious fruit changed. The days of messy eating were behind, and here I was as a teenager, peeling oranges and separating each slice for a neat and tidy meal. Now that my life is going at a much quicker pace, I scarcely have time to peel an orange and cut each piece apart. Yes, I could travel back in time to my adolescence and just sink my teeth into an orange, but that would be way too messy.
There was probably a simple and fast method to devour an orange that didn’t include all of the mess. There is, indeed! While eating an orange may look simple, there are several methods to improve its taste by combining it with other forms of food. This article will provide you with some ideas for include oranges in your diet. It will also show you how to peel and chop an orange in different ways. It is important to remember, however, that there are certain hazards linked with eating unwashed oranges. As a result, you should try to wash your oranges before eating them.
Orange Nutrition Facts
Cut Method
Because of its simplicity, I like this strategy. It also allows you to extract the most of the juice from the orange. These are several various ways to chop an orange to get the most out of it.
Cut the Orange into Strips
Lay the orange down sideways on a chopping block and cut off the top and bottom. Then, cut a slit all the way along the side of the orange, all the way to the core. From one end of the incision to the other, the slit should run. Lastly, use your fingers to pry the orange open like a book into a long strip. Remove the orange segments from the peel with your fingers and eat them. Don’t cut any more than 12 inches (1.27 cm) from each end. This method works best with Mandarin oranges, but it also works well with other varieties of oranges, such as Valencia.
Cut the Oranges into Wedges
Put the stem end of an orange on a chopping board. Split it in half and place each piece on the cutting board, face down. Make wedges out of each half. Begin by chopping it in half vertically. Next, with your knife angled toward the center of the orange, make two slashes on each side. Eat the orange right out of the skin. Place the orange flesh in your mouth and the peel between your lips to make a wide, orange grin. Bite down gently to extract the juices.
Cut the Orange into Rings
This is one of the most popular techniques since it allows you to eat virtually all of the orange’s juice. This is how it’s done. Remove the oranges top and bottom after washing the skin with water (yes, you should wash fruits you peel to avoid dirt and who knows what else from getting into the flesh of the fruit, which is a fantastic breeding ground for grody creatures). Cut a slit along one side of the orange, then flip it over and slice it into rings. You might choose to separate the ring from the center and bite straight in. You might also cut the circles into little pieces or bigger rings. Whichever size you like, you can be certain to get all of the benefits of orange juice. These orange rings even travel nicely in a Ziploc baggie, so there’s no excuse to pass on this delicious winter fruit any more.
Cut the Orange into Crescents
The stem is pointing upward. Split the orange in half and place each piece on the cutting board face down. Cut each half into 12 inch (1.27 centimeter) thick slices. Begin from one end and work your way around. Before eating, grasp each slice between your fingers and tear the flesh away with your teeth or fingers. Put an orange on a cutting board so that the top is exposed.
Florida Orange Style
To begin, you’ll need an orange and a knife. After washing the orange, use your knife to cut a cone-shaped incision at the top of the orange. You can use the knife to cut inside the orange without penetrating the skin once you’ve made a hole in the top. This will assist you in extracting the maximum juice from the orange. Just bring the orange up to your lips and suck off the sap. If sucking an orange isn’t your thing, you may drink the juice by putting a straw into the orange’s top. You could get a pith flavor if you go all orange-sucker on it. After you’ve eaten all of the juice, your reward isn’t over! You can now easily dismantle it and eat the orange inside without worrying about the juice pouring all over you.
Peel Method
While this is another excellent method to consume oranges, it is not very enjoyable. Peeling, particularly by hand, may cause discomfort. The power exerted on peeling off the skin of an orange typically results in the release of a naturally occurring chemical called Limonene. This chemical has been found to produce irritations; thus, if peeling is your preferred method of eating oranges, keep some space between the orange and your face; otherwise, you may have irritation. Yet, here are several well-known methods for removing the skin off oranges before eating them.
Peel off by Hand
Pierce the peel with a metal teaspoon or a knife and remove a piece. Remove the knife or spoon and squeeze the edge of the space you created after firmly grasping the peel with your hand. Remove as much skin as possible. Remove the skin until it is entirely removed. If there are any stringy bits, remove those as well. Pry the orange open before eating it. Put your fingers into the top orange hole and pry it open like a book. Divide the wedges and eat them individually. Make a point of plucking out and spitting out any seeds.
Peel off Using a Fork Handle or a Knife
Cut an orange across the equator, leaving just the skin and not the flesh. Use a serrated knife. Next, get a fork or spoon with a flat, curved handle. Put the handle into one side of the seam, with the handle pointing to the top of the orange. Run the grasp around the orangerep for the other side of the seam to pry the peel free from the skin. After you’re done, pull the rind away from the orange like a hat or sock. Roll the orange around on the table before peeling it. This will loosen the orange from its skin, making peeling it easier.
Juice Method
In the morning, nothing beats a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice. It might take a few minutes longer than anticipated. The flavor, on the other hand, is well worth the effort and wait. Try it out: Make some and decide if you still want to drink bottled juice. Here’s how to get the most juice out of your orange.
Juicing By Squeezing With Hand
The first step in juicing an orange by hand is to soften it. This may be accomplished by briefly boiling the orange over low heat. Another method for softening the oranges is to squeeze or roll them on the counter or table with your hand. The first step in cutting an orange is to split it in half. Don’t forget to remove the seeds! If you want to prevent seeds, use navel oranges. After that, the orange should be juiced. Squeeze one of the orange halves by hand, then extract all of the juice using a basic juicer. With a spoon, scrape the orange into the juice and add the pulp straight to the liquid. If you like clear juice, filter the liquid before consuming. Add a sprinkle of black salt or sugar for extra taste. Some, if not the majority, of oranges are already sweet. You may now drink freshly squeezed unpasteurized orange juice the way it was intended.
Juicing Using an Electric Juicer
Using an electric juicer to juice oranges is even more convenient. If you have one of these, it is preferable to the conventional way of juicing oranges by squeezing them with your hands. Preparing the oranges for juicing using an electric juicer is the first step. The oranges should be peeled and cut into quarters. More small oranges, such as mandarins, may just need halves. The oranges should go via the feed tube. Make sure you have something to catch all of the delicious liquid that spills out the other end. It’s worth mentioning that certain juicers let you select how much pulp comes out with the juice. You may now enjoy your glass of fresh orange juice.
Eating Oranges as an Addition
Orange Salsa
Grilled fish or chicken with orange salsa is guaranteed to please! Combine orange peel, chopped oranges, tomato, cilantro, green onion, walnuts, and lime juice. Serve with fish or chicken.
Fruit Salad
Be sure to add orange slices in your next fruit salad. Salad with strawberries and walnuts on a bed of your favorite field greens will not disappoint. Alternately, toss together orange slices, mango, and strawberries with chile powder, fresh lime juice, and honey. Serve with a dollop of low-fat yogurt on top.
Popsicles
Prepare a batch of orange popsicles. After dissolving orange gelatin with orange juice and water, pour it into popsicle molds or tiny plastic drinking cups. Freeze until completely solid. If utilizing plastic drinking glasses, freeze until firm before inserting and fully freezing popsicle sticks. To make fresh orange combinations, combine various flavored gelatin mixtures.
Asian Chicken Wrap
Sauté chicken, bell peppers, onion, garlic, and ginger in a tiny quantity of lemon juice, brown sugar, sesame oil, and soy sauce. Serve with sliced orange slices wrapped in iceberg lettuce leaves.
Fruit Dessert
In a mixing dish, combine peeled, sliced oranges and grapefruit, orange marmalade, and vanilla essence. Serve with shredded coconut and low-fat lemon yogurt on top. The recipe is for Ambrosia.
Fruit Kebobs
On a wooden skewer, arrange peeled orange wedges, strawberries, cantaloupe, grapes, bananas, and pineapple. Dip your kebabs in chocolate pudding or low-fat fruit yogurt.
Orange Lemonade
Is your orange juice in dire need of some tartness? Pour yourself some orange lemonade. Combine freshly squeezed orange and lemon juice, water, sugar, and fresh orange and lemon slices in a pitcher. After properly mixing, chill and serve over ice for a refreshing mid-afternoon pick-me-up.
Conclusion
Whichever technique you choose to enjoy your orange, know that you will get more health benefits than simply the delightful flavor of the juice. Oranges are high in vitamin C and other nutrients. They boost your immune system and protect you from viruses and diseases like the common cold. Oranges also help to create collagen, which makes your skin suppler. As a consequence, wrinkles are reduced and the skin looks to be younger. It also helps to balance out skin texture. Although eating oranges is healthful, consuming an excessive amount of them is not. The more oranges you consume, the quicker you will lose weight or recover from a cold. Every day, you should only consume one orange. Consuming too many oranges may result in digestive difficulties such as stomach pains and diarrhea.
FAQs
How do you eat an orange without making a mess?
Insert the handle of your spoon between the peel and the fruit after scoring around the center of the orange with your knife — just cut about an eighth of an inch deep, without puncturing the citrus segments.
Trim the top and bottom of your orange peel using a sharp or serrated knife, then score the orange peel vertically from top to bottom in numerous places, taking careful not to cut into the fruit. Peel each strip of peel before splitting your orange into quarters to eat.
Is it OK to chew on orange peels?
According to Healthline, you can not only consume orange peels, but you can also profit from doing so. Because of the naturally occurring limonene compound, eating orange peels may help prevent against skin cancer. It also has anti-inflammatory properties.
What part of an orange is not edible?
The stringy, spongy white substance between the peel (or zest) and the fruit of oranges and other citrus fruits is called pith. Most people remove it before eating an orange because they believe it is bitter or inedible.
Is it OK to eat raw orange?
While you may bite right into an orange’s peel, it’s recommended to consume smaller quantities at a time to avoid stomach distress. Orange peels may be sliced into small strips using a knife or vegetable peeler and used to salads or smoothies. They may be candied or used to create orange marmalade for a sweeter twist.
Is it OK to eat the white part of an orange?
Since it tastes sour, most people avoid the pith (the stringy, spongy white layer between the skin and the fruit). The pith, on the other hand, is high in calcium, fiber, vitamin C, and immune-boosting flavonoids. Use the pith in a smoothie to mask the taste while reaping the benefits.
Both oranges have comparable quantities of vitamin C for sustenance. The distinction between these two types of orange is that blood oranges contain an antioxidant known as anthocyanin. This antioxidant not only contributes to the distinctive color of blood oranges, but it also lowers the risk of cardiovascular disease.