Description
This guide provides five effective methods for zesting a lemon, each using different kitchen tools including a microplane, citrus zester, boxed cheese grater, vegetable peeler, and knife. Zesting lemon peel adds bright, citrusy flavor to many recipes and these detailed instructions ensure you remove only the flavorful zest without the bitter pith.
Ingredients
Scale
Ingredients
- 1 lemon
Instructions
- To Zest with a Microplane: Move the lemon back and forth over the grates of the microplane, rotating it as you go. Be careful with your fingers as the microplane is very sharp. Continue zesting until all the yellow peel has been removed.
- To Zest with a Citrus Zester: Place the sharp-edged holes at one end of the lemon, following its curve. Push slightly into the fruit and pull down to remove strips of peel. Repeat until only the white pith remains.
- To Zest with a Boxed Cheese Grater: Use the side with the smallest holes. Grate the lemon gently back and forth until the entire yellow zest is removed. Take care to avoid grating the white pith.
- Using a Vegetable Peeler: Position the peeler’s sharp edge at one end and pull down gently to peel off strips of zest, avoiding the white pith. Repeat until all desired zest is removed.
- To Zest with a Knife: Cut off one end of the lemon and place it cut side down on a board. Carefully slice at an angle to remove the yellow zest without the pith. Optionally, finely chop the zest strips for smaller pieces.
Notes
- Always avoid the white pith underneath the zest as it is bitter.
- Use gentle pressure with tools to avoid removing the pith.
- Wash and dry the lemon thoroughly before zesting.
- Zest can be used fresh or dried for later use.
- Finely chopped zest can be added to recipes for more intense flavor distribution.
