How to Zest a Lemon, Lime or Orange

Many recipes call for lemon, lime or orange zest because the peels of citrus fruits contain copious amounts of flavorful oils. You can add a lot of flavor to your food with just a little bit of carefully collected zest.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• chef's knife
• paring knife

1. Scrub the fruit with a sponge and warm, soapy water. Rinse it well and dry it with a paper towel.
2. Use a sharp paring knife to cut the peel away from the flesh of the fruit, trying to peel away as little as possible of the white pith.
3. Lay the peel flat on a cutting board, flesh-side-up, slicing it into two or three pieces if needed to lay it flat.
4. Using a sharp chef's knife almost paralell to the cutting board, slice away any remaining white pith.
5. Use the chef's knife to slice the peel into strips as thin as you can make them, about 1/8-inch or 1/12-inch thick.
6. Turn the long thin strips perpendicular to the knife and slice them again, making tiny confetti of the peel.

Tips & Warnings

• If you find you really like cooking with citrus zest, consider investing about $5 in a tool specifically made for zesting. Look for a short-handled tool with a series of small, sharp circular openings at the end. Drag the tool across the fruit and it does all the work for you.
• Don't use a grater to make citrus zest unless the recipe specifically directs you to. Grated zest has a very fine texture that delivers less intense bursts of flavor.