How to Segment Citrus Fruit

Here’s how to segment citrus fruit. Segmented oranges, grapefruit and pomelo are beautiful additions to salads, entrees and desserts. Segmenting citrus is a little tricky at first, but I know you’ll get the hang of it quickly.

Segmented grapefruit slices are perfect in parfaits, salads or on their own anytime!

Read more: How to Peel and Eat a Honey Pomelo, 5 Common Citrus Varieties, Citrus Salad with Honey Vinaigrette.

Peeling and eating an orange for lunch or snack is fairly straight forward.  Make a cut in the rind, peel it back, remove any white bits and eat one piece at a time. Easy-peasy, even if  your chin and fingers end up covered with sweet sticky juice.

cut out core of mandarin
Mandarin orange segments

But if you’re diving into a grapefruit or dicing or slicing oranges for a special recipe like the orange and celery salad, the fennel and orange salad, the tangerine and blood orange salad or the grapefruit parfait, you’ll need an alternate, faster method.

Here’s my favourite technique for when I’m making salads, preparing grapefruit or making recipes that require segmented citrus pieces.

Watch: How to Segment Grapefruit

Watch to see how to Segment common Citrus. Read more on how to peel and slice a Honey Pomelo.

How to Peel and Segment Citrus

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5 from 1 vote

How to Peel & Segment Citrus Fruit

Here’s how to segment citrus fruit. Segmented oranges, grapefruit and pomelo are beautiful additions to salads, entrees and desserts. Segmenting citrus is a little tricky at first, but I know you’ll get the hang of it quickly.
Author: Getty Stewart

Ingredients

  • 1 whole citrus fruit orange, lemon, lime, pomelo, etc

Instructions

  • Slice off the top and bottom. Try to feel for where the pith (white skin) and the flesh of the fruit meet.
    orange varieties
  • Peel flesh from top to bottom: Place the fruit on a cutting board and using a sharp knife cut between the flesh and the peel from top to bottom. Make several cuts like this all the way around the orange.
    The challenge is to cut as little of the flesh as possible while getting as much of the pith as possible.
    When you’ve gone all around, you may need to trim off any extra white parts to get naked oranges.
    segment citrus
  • To cut segments: Cut out the white center core, make a fairly deep V cut into the center of the fruit so that you are cutting open all the segments. This will expose any seeds and allow you to slide your knife between the membrane and the flesh of the fruit. Repeat this with each segment, they should be fairly easy to pop out.
  • For round slices: Lay the orange on its side and cut slices.
    orange varieties
  • For diced pieces, split orange in half and remove the white center core. Separate into individual pieces. Cut into diced pieces.
    segmenting citrus
  • With oranges, because the membranes separating the segments are relatively tender and not very bitter, it’s not necessary to remove them.
    With grapefruit however, (or if you want to be uber fancy with your oranges) you’ll want to remove the membranes. See video for detailed instruction.
    cut out core of mandarin

Video

Notes

 
 
Tried this recipe?Mention @GetGettyS or tag #GetGettyS
Course: fruit
Keyword: citrus, citrus season, how to
Peeling Orange
peeling oranges
naked oranges
sliced citrus varieties
removing center
dicing oranges
diced oranges

Video: How to Segment a Pomelo, Step by Step Instructions

Feeling adventurous? Here’s how to peel and segment a Pomelo.

Follow Getty on YouTube for regular tips and inspiration in the kitchen.

What’s your favourite citrus recipe? 

While I love all kinds of different recipes, my daily go to is the grapefruit and yogurt parfait. I eat it almost daily until I can’t get sweet Texas grapefruit anymore.

grapefruit parfait

Segmented grapefruit makes this Grapefruit parfait a great snack or breakfast.

Select, store and serve seasonal food for everyday cooking with Getty. Getty is a food educator and Professional Home Economist, who loves sharing tips and recipes following the seasons from her Canadian kitchen. Sign up to get seasonal tips and recipes delivered to your inbox. Learn more about Getty or check out her books and pdf guides.

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