zest

How to Get Lemon Zest Without a Microplane
Cooking Basics

How to Zest Without a Microplane

It's nice to cook in a kitchen stocked with every culinary tool imaginable, but even if you don't have specialized cooking tools on hand, all is not lost!
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It's nice to cook in a kitchen stocked with every culinary tool imaginable, but even if you don't have specialized cooking tools on hand, all is not lost! Take citrus zest, for example. Without a microplane or grater, it can be pretty hard to zest a lemon or lime, right? Wrong! Here's how you do it:

  1. Using a vegetable peeler, peel off the skin of the citrus. Try to get as little of the white pith as possible.
  2. Place the peel on a cutting board and use a large knife to finely mince it into small, zest-like pieces.
  3. Use the minced citrus peel according to your recipe.

Have you ever made your own zest?

Simple Tip: Before Juicing, Keep Citrus at Room Temperature
Tips

Simple Tip: Before Juicing, Keep Citrus at Room Temperature

If you plan on making lemonade or a batch of cocktails that require fresh citrus juice, be sure to use citrus that is at room temperature.
by partysugar

If you plan on making lemonade or a batch of cocktails that require fresh citrus juice, be sure to use citrus that is at room temperature. According to Food & Wine Cocktails 09, refrigerated citrus will yield up to a third less liquid than fruit at room temperature. To bring cold citrus to room temperature quickly, soak the fruit in really hot water for five minutes before squeezing. Ironically enough, when a recipe calls for citrus zest it's best to use the fruit right out of the fridge.

Do you normally store your lemons, limes, and oranges on the counter or in the fridge?

Zest
definition

Definition: Zest

The outer colored part of peel on a citrus fruit.
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The outer colored part of peel on a citrus fruit. Such as "lemon zest" or "orange zest." It contains a lot of aromatic oils and flavor that help enhance many dishes.

You can harvest the zest by running a citrus zester (fine grater, vegetable peeler or paring knife) across the fruit. Be sure to only get the first layer of freshly washed fruit. If you can see the white part, you've zested too far.