How to peel a fruit

How to peel a fruit [final photo]

Usually French chefs says "peler à vif", which means to completely peel the fruit (removing skin and core) and keep only the very best of the flesh. Here is a method for grapefruit, but it can be used for all the other citrus fruit, and many other fruits.

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Recipe seen 17,602 times
Noted 6 times, average note : 2.7/3

You will need:

1 grapefruit

Nutritional information:

Whole recipe

Calories

129

5%

Proteins

2g

<1%

Carbohydrates

31g

2%

Fats

0g

0%

Per 100 g

Calories

38

2%

Proteins

1g

<1%

Carbohydrates

9g

1%

Fats

0g

0%

% are calculated relative to a Recommended Dietary Intake or RDI of 2500 k-calories by day for a man (change to a woman).

Times:

Preparation : 5 min.

How much?

For : 0.51 €

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Step by step recipe:

You will need the following utensils: A chopping board A good knife Cut top and bottom off the fruit.
Split the skin vertically into 4 quarters of similar size.
Pull off the quarters of skin. With them you can make delicious candied peel.
If necessary, trim any remaining white pith from top and bottom.
Put the fruit in front of you, remove the white pith by cutting in vertical strips all round the fruit.
Complete the operation by trimming off any remaining bits of pith. It's easier if you turn fruit upside down at this stage.
You should get a "clean" fruit. It is now "pelé à vif", but you need to separate the segments of flesh.
For the first segment, choose a large one and cut from the outside towards the centre, following the left-hand membrane (transparent skin).
Then do the same thing with the right-hand membrane.
And so separate the first segment.
For all the other segments, start again with the left-hand membrane, and cut from outside to centre.
Now comes the critical moment, when the blade of your knife reaches the centre: turn it gently half a turn (exacty as if you were turning a key to lock a door), and continue cutting, this time back from the centre towards the outside.
You will notice that there is only a little to cut, because the turn pratically detaches the segment.
Then remove the segment... You might need to finish by removing a few pips or pieces of membrane.
Do this for all segments.
Have a look at this short video, to see how to peel a grapefruit...
...and in this one, a kiwi.

Remarks:

This operation is rather long, but what a result! If you make a fruit salad like this you will be surprised (so will your guests) by the sweetness of your dessert (no hint of bitterness from the pith).

I suggest that you work over a strainer on a bowl, or use a chopping board with a small reservoir to keep the fruit juice that runs out. Similarly, squeeze all unused parts of the fruit before discarding them.

Source:

Home made

Last modified on: December 23^th 2009

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