How to Zest a Citrus Fruit

Lemon, Lime or Orange zest can add a kick of flavor to a variety of meals. Lime zest is great on fajitas, lemon zest is fantastic on lemon meringue pie, and orange zest is great for Asian stir-fry.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• A zester
• A grater
• A lemon, lime or orange

1. 

   Zesting a citrus fruit is very simple. You just need to know how to use the proper tools. To start off, you can use a zester. A zester is a tool that has loops on the end. You scrape the loops along the skin of the fruit and it scrapes long tendrils of zest.

2. You can also use a grater if you want smaller pieces of zest. Simply rub the grater along the skin of the citrus fruit and small pieces of zest will drop into your dish. You may need to use a spoon to scoop off any clinging pieces of zest.

3. If you have neither of these tools, a simple paring knife will work just as well. Simply scrape the knife along the skin. The key here is to make sure that you scrape and don't cut. Scrape the skin until you have enough zest and then drop it into your recipe.