Stop in the name of Love! Supreming oranges is as easy as listening to The Supremes belt out Motown favorites. Our Knife Skills series is sponsored by Cutco.
What is Supreming?
Want to know how restaurant chefs get those perfect citrus slices with no pith and no membranes? Well there’s a name for that technique: it’s called supreming. It’s just a fancy word for something that really isn’t that difficult. With a little practice you’ll be a master at this method, and your salads will look oh-so-classy.
Video: How To Supreme An Orange
How to Supreme Citrus
Step #1 Slice Top and Bottom
Use a classic chef’s knife to slice off the top and bottom of your orange.
Step #2 Cut Off Rind
Stand your orange upright on the cutting board. Starting at the top of the orange, guide your chef’s knife down to the base, curving the knife with the shape of the fruit. Continue all the way around the orange until all of the rind and pith is removed. If you have white pith left on the outside of the orange, go back around and slice it off.
Step #3 Slice Inside Membranes
Once all the pith is removed, you’ll be able to see the membranes between each orange wedge. Use a paring knife to slice along the inside of the membranes.
Step #4 Separate and Enjoy!
Lift out your supremed orange wedges and place them in a bowl. Now they’re ready for a recipe or a snack!
Podcast Episode: How To Supreme An Orange
Listen to our editor, Christine Pittman, explain briefly about how to make this recipe, with some great tips along the way, by clicking the play button below:
Listen to more Recipe of the Day episodes here.
How To Supreme an Orange Instructions
- Prep Time: 2 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 2 minutes
- Yield: 1 orange 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 orange
Instructions
- Use a classic chef’s knife to slice off the top and bottom of your orange.
- Stand your orange upright on the cutting board. Starting at the top of the orange, guide your chef’s knife down to the base, curving the knife with the shape of the fruit. Continue all the way around the orange until all of the rind and pith is removed. If you have white pith left on the outside of the orange, go back around and slice it off.
- Once all the pith is removed, you’ll be able to see the membranes between each orange wedge. Use a gourmet paring knife to slice along the inside of the membranes.
- Lift out your supremed orange wedges and place them in a bowl. Now they’re ready for a recipe or a snack!
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This post originally appeared in October 2016 and was revised and republished in March 2020.
I’ve been doing this for years when I make a fruit salad. I had no idea this is what it was called!
Well, now you know, Rita! It’s great to cut them this way for salads. 🙂
Thanks for the very clear instructions on how to supreme an orange and the pictures showing every detail.
You’re welcome, Julia! Glad all the photos helped.