Is There an Easy Way to Peel a Tough Skinned Orange

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Can We Talk About How Leda Peels an Orange?

We can't stop thinking about this scene in The Lost Daughter.

By Olivia Harrison Jan 27, 2022

Orange peels serve a purpose. They make it easy to throw the fruit in your backpack without worrying if it'll get squashed or dirty. Beyond just being protective, an orange's glowing, dimpled skin is beautiful to behold. But unless you have fingers — and fingernails — of steel, liberating the fruit from its peel isn't always straightforward. In fact, unless you're eating an easily peelable (and rarely found) Sumo, the act of peeling an orange can be pretty frustrating. But there are techniques, more artful and precise than the old thumb-dig, to remove an orange peel. Who knew? Apparently young Leda (Jessie Buckley) in The Lost Daughter knew. And now we do, too.

In Maggie Gyllenhaal's adaptation of the Elena Ferrante novel, an older Leda (Olivia Colman) is consumed by memories of the suffocation and complexity of early motherhood. But, amid flashbacks filled with the oppression of caring for and raising kids, we see that young Leda also experiences the kind of overwhelming joy that comes from being a parent during the simplest of moments, like peeling an orange for eager children. There are several scenes in which her daughters watch as Leda uses a knife to cut the rind off an orange in one complete coil as they chant: "Peel it like a snake! Don't let it break!" When Leda produces the long coil of peeled rind, they react with awe and adoration. These scenes are tender and profound, sure, but they also made us wonder: "Is that the best way to peel an orange?" Have we been doing it wrong all our lives? We took some knives to a few navels to find out.

The Hands-On Method

We include this familiar yet crude means of peeling as a control for our experiment, not as an example of a flashy new technique. After all, most people who have eaten oranges are familiar with this approach. Depending on the type of citrus, it can be very difficult to remove the rind with just your hands, but the end result is usually consistent: a whole orange and little mess. To our knowledge, there's no cute chant that accompanies this process, and performing it for children is certainly not going to wow them. Or anyone, really.

The Snake Method

While peeling an orange the old-fashioned way requires thumb, forefinger and grip strength, it turns out peeling an orange snake-style also takes some muscle — as well as precision. The act itself is impressive and would certainly garner attention as a party trick, but we found it neither easy nor intuitive. First, it's extremely difficult to cut into the fruit with the exact amount of pressure needed. If you're ultra-conscious of not taking off too much flesh, you end up leaving quite a bit of pith attached to the fruit, which then also has to be peeled off. But concentrating on removing all the pith may lead to cutting too far into the orange itself, thereby wasting precious fruit. Digging into the flesh also leads to a lot of mess; we were sprayed in the face more than once while trying this method.

At first, we thought we'd get better at the snake approach with practice, but a closer look at the scenes from The Lost Daughter shows that Leda actually takes a lot of flesh off when she's uncoiling the peel, and we assume she's done it dozens of times. This leads us to believe that peeling an orange like a snake is really all about the spectacle. It's not about delivering intact sections of nutritious fruit to your fans; it's about dazzling them. It's fun, but not practical and not particularly nourishing. No wonder Leda loves it.

The Equator Cut + Spoon Method

The snake isn't the only theatrical technique in town. We came across an orange-peeling approach that involves making a single slice around the circumference of the fruit and then gently separating the skin from the flesh with a spoon. The use of a spoon allows for a lot more control than a paring knife and results in less flesh being wasted and less mess. The remaining unbroken orange is also far more impressive than the mangled one created with the snake cut. Plus, the two flawless cups of leftover rind are just as visually cool as the coil. A child might not be as likely to anthropomorphize them, but really who's to say? Their imaginations know no bounds.

The Strips Method

This approach, which involves cutting the rind away in strips from top to bottom, is hands-down the worst possible way to peel an orange. It offers neither style nor substance. Not only do you end up losing a lot of fruit to the knife — as with the snake method — but it also isn't exciting to watch, making it a real lose-lose. We'd venture to say that if anyone attempts to remove the skin of an orange in this manner for any reason other than an orange-peeling experiment, it would mean they'd never even seen an orange before, let alone peeled one. Don't even bother trying this technique — unless, of course, you're okay with people wondering if you've never seen an orange before.

The Wedge + Peel Method

Though we think the spoon trick provides the biggest bang for your buck when it comes to excitement and result, we're actually partial to this approach. To execute, simply cut the whole orange into eighths, then use your hands to peel the skin off each slice. This technique may conjure up memories of being the snack leader for soccer practice or art camp, but don't let that deter you — there's a reason a lot of parents (who aren't Leda) gravitate toward it. The wedge approach is special because it doesn't just prepare the orange for eating; it also celebrates the fact that oranges are a self-contained snack. It acknowledges the beauty of the peel, honoring its utility as a handle and serving as a gentle reminder that, when teeth instead of fingers separate flesh from rind, you get a lot less mess. It's the best way to peel an orange for snacking, though it may not bring much to the table in terms of presentation.

Conclusion

While the snake method seen in The Lost Daughter might not actually be the best way to go in real life, it did inspire our journey to find the all-around best way to peel an orange. And to give credit where it's due, Leda does show that we don't have to settle for quietly suffering through the peeling process, as we — and our fingernails — used to do. Nor do we need to be on a sunlit beach in Greece to enjoy the pure and simple pleasure of peeling (and eating) an orange.

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Source: https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/best-way-to-peel-an-orange-the-lost-daughter

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