How to Cut an Orange

Co-authored by Kyle Hall

Cutting an orange is easy, but first you have to choose how you want to cut it. Wedges make great snacks, wheels are good for drink garnishes, and segments are convenient to use in salads. By using a sharp knife and choosing the right cutting method for you, you can learn how to properly cut an orange in no time.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Wedging an Orange

1
Hold an orange firmly on a cutting board. Make sure you have a good grip with your fingers so the orange doesn’t slip while you’re cutting it.^{[1]
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2
Cut the orange in half using a sharp knife. Cut starting at the stem-end of the orange (the top of the fruit that was attached to the tree), and ending at the blossom-end (the bottom of the fruit).^{[2]
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3
Set the two orange halves skin-side up on the cutting board. The inside part of the orange should be facing downward.^{[3]
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4
Use the knife to cut each half into three equal wedges. Angle the knife toward the center of the orange when you’re cutting to create the wedge shapes. ^{[4]
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- If you want more wedges, make the wedges smaller and make three angled cuts instead of two.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Cutting Orange Wheels

1
Place an orange on a cutting board so the two ends are facing out. Use your fingers to hold the orange firmly in place.
2
Cut off the top and bottom ends of the orange using a sharp knife. Cut off enough of the ends that the inside of the orange is exposed on both sides.^{[5]
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3
Slice off the first wheel from one of the exposed ends of the orange. Place the blade of the knife on the orange, about a ¼ inch (.6 cm) from one of the ends, and cut straight down until the knife hits the cutting board. Let the orange wheel fall onto the board.^{[6]
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4
Keep slicing the orange until you’ve made your way from one end to the other. Try to slice each wheel so it’s the same thickness as the one before it.
- Don’t apply too much pressure on the knife when you’re cutting the wheels or they may lose their shape.^{[7]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Segmenting an Orange

1
Use a sharp paring knife to cut off the ends of an orange. Make sure the inside of the orange is exposed on both ends.^{[8]
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2
Set the orange on the cutting board so one of the exposed ends is facing down. The other exposed end should be facing up toward you.^{[9]
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3
Use the paring knife to remove the peel. Starting with the blade at the upward-facing end of the fruit, bring the knife down to the cutting board, following the curve of the orange and removing the peel in the process. Let the section of peel fall off and repeat the process all the way around the orange until the whole peel is removed.^{[10]
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4
Hold the peeled orange in one hand over a bowl. Hold the paring knife in your other hand.^{[11]
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5
Use the knife to cut the orange into segments, using the membrane as a guide. The membrane is the white lines that run from the top to the bottom of the orange. The fruit in between each membrane line is one segment.^{[12]
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6
Throw away the membrane and collect the segments from the bowl. If there are any seeds attached to the segments, remove them using the knife.^{[13]
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Community Q&A

Question

Is there a slicer that will divide orange into individual slices?

Michele

Top Answerer

There is no commercial slicer that can do this.
Question

What is the best brand knife to cut an orange?

Annie

Community Answer

The brand doesn't matter. It just needs to be a sharp knife. It a pinch, you can use your fingernails as well to peel it.
Question

How is an orange cut in the Neapolitan manner?

Torpi

Top Answerer

A Neapolitan orange is a kind of tangerine (and a lovely shade of oil paint), not a way to cut oranges.