Buzz
Oranges can be a hassle. They’re unpredictable—sometimes a burst of sweetness, other times a bland, mushy mess. And to figure that out, you have to peel them. But ‘peeling’ doesn’t quite capture the challenge. An ordinary orange clings to its peel like it’s life or death. It’s no surprise that soccer kids prefer slicing the orange—it’s quicker, mess-free, and you’re right there with the fruit.
Clementines may be easier to peel, but they’re still a pain. You’ll end up with bits of peel scattered everywhere, even under your nails. And, let’s be honest, no matter how careful you are, you’re probably going to turn a bit orange yourself. The thought of scrubbing up like a surgeon after every snack just doesn’t appeal to me.
But there is a better way to peel an orange—one that doesn’t involve rolling the fruit around on a table or digging into its stubborn skin with your nails.
The ultimate trick to peeling an orange
This TikTok completely changed my approach. In this video, TikTok user kevglbach stitches a clip from lolwutalan’s, demonstrating the easiest way to peel an orange. First, slice the fruit in half, then take one of the halves and flip it inside out. Gently press on the back of the orange and watch as the segments burst out, making it super easy to pick apart and enjoy. Voilà: a quick snack.
It seems like these TikToks mostly use clementines or mandarins to show off the method. I’d be curious if this works with larger oranges. One commenter mentions that it doesn’t work well with ‘firm fresh oranges,’ so that might be a dealbreaker. But what about larger oranges that are softer? If it works, I might just have to start eating more oranges.
Sure, this method won’t solve the problem of inconsistent taste, but that’s a hack for another day.
