How to Zest a Lemon, Lime or Orange

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By eHow Contributing Writer

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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.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Step 1

Scrub the fruit with a sponge and warm, soapy water. Rinse it well and dry it with a paper towel.
Step 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.
Step 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.
Step 4

Using a sharp chef's knife almost paralell to the cutting board, slice away any remaining white pith.
Step 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.
Step 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.

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