Guilty as charged. Mandarins are easier to peel and eat and don’t leave my keyboard all sticky!

OK, I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t know how to peel an orange. I was sent to school with my oranges pre-cut, and as an adult the inconvenience and mess of eating an orange was reason enough to avoid them. I do like them, I just can’t be bothered!

Somebody told me long ago that oranges stain your teeth too… so I’ve always stuck to juice and straws.

Time to submit my comment, even though it will probably make you cry in despair!

I’m not too lazy to peel an orange but I hate doing it. My fingernails get all orange and pithy! Still buy oranges though. Quarter them and tear out the flesh with my teeth. :)

I hate the messiness of peeling oranges and prefer mandarines – but it does take me time to eat a mandarin so am not sure if it would be quicker to eat an orange – but is much neater! I couldn’t eat an orange at my desk like I do with mandarins. This sort of post makes me think I should eat oranges more often.

I have been chuckling about that report all week! I have a friend staying from Oz and she tossed a bag of Valencia oranges into the trolley at Tesco on Sunday and it’s reminded me how bloody great oranges can be and well worth the effort! I’ve been peeling one of an afternoon at work and finding it a nice break from the keyboard :)

I’ve always hated peeling oranges – the feeling of pith under my fingernails almost equates to fingernails on blackboards to me (though you still get that with some of the thicker skinned mandarin varieties). And I never quite picked up the knife skill that my mum had of skinning the orange peel off in one long curly piece.
I still love oranges though; my modus operandi is to top and tail the orange, cut a ~1cm wide strip of peel from the side, and then to slice into chunky rounds. Much much easier and far less messy (though no less juicy!).

Good luck with your deadlines!

How timely – I just ate an orange yesterday and thought, “Gee, I haven’t had one of these in a while.” It does take some time to peel. . . but then again, with the organic ones we get, I could do as my mom used to do and just bite into it like an apple—peel and all!

I couldn’t believe this when I read it. Too busy to peel an orange? That’s just ridiculous. ‘If only I hadn’t stopped to peel that orange, everything would have been ok.’

I happen to live with one of those people who doesn’t eat oranges. Yes Richard also believes they’re too messy. Heavy sigh. So I’m not quite as despairing as I would be otherwise.

But guys, oranges are beautiful and here in Australia they’re in season at the moment. So they’re also cheap. And in my opinion if you’re not eating them you’re missing out.

And well done to those of you who, despite your lack of peeling skills, still manage to crack open an orange.

Raising my hand on this one also. Funny – it was just last week I asked my husband to ‘show me’ how to peel an orange. I had never done this … because I genuinely didn’t know how to. Yes, we do exist, us reformed fruit-haters.

I bring mandarins into work every day because they are so easy to prepare, and not as messy to eat. But I loved that orange and have since bought a whole bag of them. I’ll be eating them at home until I get the knack though.

When they’re in season, they’re easier to peel. It’s only a pain when they’ve gone all thin skinned and nasty.

And if people were really pressed for time they could use a knife, couldn’t they?

I have been guilty in the past of juicing an orange rather than peeling it, or eating a banana, pear or plum rather than spending the time to peel an orange. But they are just so jolly WONDERFUL at the moment, drought and all, and I peel with a deft knife.

haha yup, oranges are a pain! that’s funny to admit, but true. i find tangelos a lot easier to peel. but bananas win for convenience bc you don’t have to wash them!

LOL, I did read that survey. Embarrassing. But how true! Good luck with the articles.

Bananas and mandarines – yup they’re definitely more convenient. But food choices aren’t just about convenience surely? I use a knife, would never dream of eating one anywhere near my keyboard or desk. But a peeled orange after dinner, with a smidgeon of yoghurt is heavenly. And Zoe and Vegeyum – they are glorious at the moment.

I want you all to go out, buy and eat an orange this weekend. Think of it as homework!

Very interesting responses to this post Kathryn. I have the luxury of picking oranges straight from our trees so I feel very blessed. Not only do I peel oranges but this weekend I spent hours peeling, removing pith, pips, zesting, juicing and finely slicing rind to go into my batches of orange marmalade, cumquat marmalade, mandarin jelly and lemon butter. You just cannot buy anything like it! Im in heaven.
After seeing limes in the fruit shop for $1.69 each, yes each, I nearly keeled over. So with all the excess limes on my tree at the moment I am making a batch of lime marmalade tomorrow. Maybe lime butter too.
I know I am off the topic but I what kind of society have we become where it is too difficult or too time consuming to peel an orange. How disconnected have we become to foods that require a little effort. Astonishing. Im amazed actually.
Forget stop and smell the roses. Do your body a big favour – stop and peel an orange instead.

I can’t eat oranges very often as they give me eczema! but every winter I ‘risk’ an orange or three! They are very messy, so I only eat them at home. I pretend I’m at the kids’’ soccer, & cut the orange into quarters then suck all the juice & pith off the skins. messy, but very satisfying!

I’ve just found out Harris Farm Market in Sydney are selling 10kg boxes of oranges for A$10. Such a bargain. One I can’t resist.

oranges are a pain in my rear to eat and i’d much rather grab a plumb to eat instead of an orange.