Buzz
The vibrant green peel of a lemon is known for its delightful fragrance and rich essential oils. As such, lemon zest enhances the flavors of cocktails, desserts, and a wide array of other recipes. The easiest tool for zesting is a zester, but for creating long strips or twisty peels for garnishing cocktails, a traditional zester is ideal. However, with a bit of effort and practice, a sharp knife or a vegetable peeler will suffice.
Steps
Using a Zester or Zesting Tool
Rinse the lemon under cold water. Gently rub the lemon with your hands to remove any dirt or residual chemicals, even if you can't see any dirt with the naked eye. Pat it dry with a clean towel to further cleanse the lemon and make zesting easier.
Tilt the zester at a 45-degree angle on the cutting board. A zester is a kitchen tool made of metal, with either a flat or curved surface and small holes throughout, designed to help you zest lemons with minimal effort.
Gently move the lemon across the zester's surface. Place the lemon on top of the zester, close to the handle. Gently push the lemon over the grater's holes. This will zest the lemon into fine strands that will fall onto the cutting board, where you can gather them afterward.
- Be mindful that the blades are angled in one direction. Push the lemon over the sharp edges of the grater holes to zest it, as pushing in the opposite direction will not work. Ensure the sharp edges of the blades are facing up.
- If you're using a grater instead of a zester, zest the lemon carefully to avoid touching the bitter white pith beneath.
Rotate the lemon to zest the remaining peel. Zest the top portion until the green skin is fully removed. When the white pith underneath begins to show, rotate the lemon to continue zesting in the same manner.
- Be cautious not to zest into the bitter white pith beneath.
Collect the zest and transfer it to a bowl. Once you've finished zesting the lemon or have gathered enough peel, set the lemon aside for later use. Use a knife to scrape any remaining zest off the cutting board and place it into the bowl, or directly into the dish you're preparing as per the recipe instructions.
- You don’t need to try to zest all the peel. For example, the tip of the lemon can be quite difficult to zest.
Clean the zester immediately or leave it in a warm place to dry. If you leave lemon zest to dry in the small holes of the zester, it will be difficult to clean. Rinse it under running water to clean it right away, scrubbing with a stiff brush. Alternatively, avoid using water and place the zester near the stove or in a sunny window. The heat can dry any leftover zest bits, making it easier to wash off.
Using a Traditional Lemon Zester
Rinse and dry the lemon. Place the lemon under cold running water and gently scrub it. Then, dry it with a towel.
Prepare the cutting board and the lemon zester. A lemon zester is a kitchen tool with numerous small blades or sharp holes designed to create long, twisted lemon peel strands, perfect for garnishing. You can also finely slice the zest to use in cooking.
- Some people refer to this as the 'traditional lemon zester.'
Run the zester along the lemon's surface. If you want zest for garnishing cocktails or dishes, zest through the white pith to maintain the twisty peel. For zesting to cook with, only scrape the thin green peel.
Rotate the lemon and repeat the process. Once you have zest and the white pith starts to show, turn the lemon to the unzested sections. Continue to zest the lemon until you have enough zest for your recipe.
- The thickness of the lemon peel can vary more than other citrus fruits, making it tricky to determine how much zest you’ll get from one lemon. If a recipe calls for 'the zest of one lemon' without specifying the type, aim for about two tablespoons of zest.
Finely slice the lemon peel (optional). If you're using the peel for decoration, skip this step. If you're using it for cooking, use a sharp knife to cut the peel into small pieces.
Using a Vegetable Peeler or Paring Knife
Only use this method if you lack other tools. If you don’t have a zester or lemon peeler, a vegetable peeler or paring knife can come in handy. However, avoid this method if you need even, curved peel slices or perfect lemon zest strips.
Rinse and dry the lemon. Hold the lemon under cold running water and scrub off any dirt using your fingers. Then, dry it with a clean towel.
Place the lemon on the cutting board and hold it with your non-dominant hand. Position the cutting board on a stable surface. Place the lemon on the board and secure it near the edge of the board.
- If you're right-handed, hold the lemon with your left hand. If you're left-handed, use your right hand to hold the lemon.
Secure the peeler or paring knife. Hold the peeler or knife above the lemon with the blade facing toward you. Avoid moving the knife away from you, as this will make it harder to control the peel and could lead to accidental cuts.
Peel the lemon carefully. Pull the peeler or knife toward you, gently pressing the blade into the lemon peel. It's best to only peel the green zest, avoiding the white pith. However, you may need to press a bit deeper into the white layer to keep the blade stable and secure.
Scrape off the white pith unless you're using the peel for decoration. Use a paring knife or any small, sharp knife to scrape away the white pith or the flesh underneath the green zest. This step is especially important if you’re using the peel in cooking, as the white pith adds a bitter taste. However, if you're using the zest for garnishing or in cocktails, you can skip this step.
Slice the lemon zest into small pieces (optional). Use the same knife to finely slice the zest. Now, the lemon zest is ready to be used. For the leftover lemon, wrap it in plastic wrap and store it in the fridge for later use.
Tips
- If the lemon is too soft to zest, place it in the freezer for about 2 minutes to firm it up.
- It's best to select lemons that are brightly colored and have a strong, fragrant aroma when you scratch the skin. Lemons with thin skins, like the kaffir lime, may be difficult to zest.
- If you'd rather not wash the zester, try placing a layer of plastic wrap or parchment paper between the microplane and the lemon as you zest. However, this may cause the wrap or paper to tear, so make sure to use high-quality materials.
- If you're using both lemon zest and juice, zest the lemon first before squeezing it for juice.
- You can store zested lemons in the fridge and juice them later. Wrap the lemons in plastic wrap to prevent them from drying out.
What You Need
- Cutting Board
- Bowl
- Microplane Zester “or”
- Lemon Zester “or”
- Vegetable Peeler or
- Paring Knife
