How do I segment and peel citrus properly?

Segmenting citrus — supreming — removes all the pith and membrane, which is what makes fruit salads and salads with orange in them pleasant rather than chewy. It takes about a minute per fruit.

What you'll need

• Citrus fruit
• Small sharp knife
• Bowl

Step by step

1. Cut a flat top and bottom.Take enough off to expose the flesh at both ends. Now it stands up and cannot roll.
2. Cut the peel away following the curve.Top to bottom, in strips, taking the white pith with the peel. Follow the fruit's shape rather than cutting straight down and losing flesh.
3. Tidy any remaining pith.Go back over with the knife. Pith is bitter, and removing it is the whole point of doing this.
4. Cut each segment free over a bowl.Slice down either side of each dividing membrane and the segment drops out clean. Work over a bowl to catch the juice.
5. Squeeze the leftover membranes.A surprising amount of juice comes out. Use it in the dressing or drink it.
6. For zest, take only the coloured layer.A fine grater or a zester. Stop at the white — pith is bitter. Zest before juicing, not after.
7. For peel in one piece, score and lift.Score the skin from top to bottom in four places, then slide a thumb underneath. Works on oranges and satsumas, not on lemons.

Tips

• Unwaxed fruit for zest where you can, and scrub waxed fruit in warm water first.
• Zest freezes well. Whenever you juice a lemon, zest it first and freeze what you do not need.
• Roll a citrus fruit firmly on the counter before juicing — it breaks the segments internally and yields noticeably more.

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