How to Make a Homemade Lemon-Pepper Seasoning

Commercial lemon-pepper seasoning, available in the spice section of most markets, is enormously popular as a seasoning for chicken and other foods. You can easily make it at home yourself, and the result will taste much bolder and fresher.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• 1 fresh lemon
• 2 tsp. whole black peppercorns
• Groceries
• Baking Sheets
• Coffee Grinders
• Cutting Boards
• Wooden Spoons
• Zesters
• Baking sheets

1. Remove the zest from the lemon carefully, using a zesting tool or a vegetable peeler. Remove only the yellow zest and none of the white pith.

2. Mince the zest and place it in a small bowl.

3. Place the peppercorns on a cutting board and crack them by pressing on them with the clean bottom of a heavy pot, or whirl very briefly in a spice grinder - you want them in large pieces.

4. Add the cracked pepper to the zest.

5. Don't forget this key step: Use a wooden spoon or other sturdy tool to mash the cracked pepper and zest together. This helps release the citrus oils in the zest and combine them with the pepper.

6. Spread the zest and pepper on a small baking sheet or piece of foil and place in the oven. If it's a gas oven, leave it in the oven overnight and the pilot light will dry the mixture out. If it's an electric oven, set it to 200 degrees F or so.

7. Pulverize the mixture the next day in a spice grinder or clean coffee grinder. You can also mince it by hand with a knife.

8. Realize that it's now ready to sprinkle on chicken, fish and other foods before cooking.

Tips & Warnings

• The ratio of lemon zest to pepper should be about 1 1/2-to-1, but exact measurements aren't necessary.

• Try sprinkling this mixture on fish fillets before cooking, then sprinkle on some fresh lemon juice after cooking to boost the flavor.

• If you have a mortar and pestle, use that to crack the pepper coarsely.