How to Zest a Lemon

Learn How to Zest a Lemon five different ways. Whether you use a zesting gadget or a common kitchen tool, add some sunny lemon flavor to all your favorite spring and summer soups, salads, desserts, and cocktails.

Course Pantry

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5

Total Time 5

Servings servings (1 tsp each)

Calories 10kcal

Author Meggan Hill

Equipment

Microplane grater (My favorite! Use this for zest, cheese, nutmeg, garlic, and chocolate)
Vegetable peeler (My go-to peeler for thick strips of zest and for peeling potatoes or any vegetable)
Paring knife (A super-sharp paring knife is a kitchen staple that works great for zesting citrus)
Box grater (Use the fine-grater side for citrus and try the coarse and medium grates or slicing side for vegetables, herbs, and cheese)
Channel knife (This 2-in-1 tool zests or makes strips for citrus garnishes)

Ingredients

1 lemon (see note 1)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

To zest a lemon with a microplane:

Hold the grater in one hand and the lemon in the other over a cutting board or clean work surface. Going in one direction, push the lemon away from you across the rough side of the grater, removing the colorful part of the fruit, exposing the pith. Gently rotate the lemon as you go to get all of the zest you can from each fruit.

To zest a lemon with a vegetable peeler:

Hold the lemon in one hand and the peeler in the other. Beginning at the top of the fruit and working your way around the lemon, use the peeler to cut into the skin and carefully remove the peel in thick, wide strips. Avoid going so deep as to remove the white pith.

To zest a lemon with a paring knife:

Hold the lemon in one hand and the knife in the other. Beginning at the top of the fruit, cut into the skin and carefully remove the peel in strips, working your way around the lemon. Avoid going so deep as to remove the white pith.

To zest a lemon with a box grater:

Place the grater over a cutting board or clean work surface. Holding the box grater by the handle firmly with one hand, and the lemon in the other, push the lemon away from you across the rough side of the grater, removing the colorful part of the fruit, exposing the pith. Gently rotate the lemon as you go, to get all of the zest you can from each fruit.

To zest a lemon with a zesting channel knife:

To make zest, hold the lemon in one hand and the zester in the other. Starting at the top of the lemon, press the round blades into the skin and move them across the fruit, rotating so that you get all of the zest you can.
To use a channel knife for garnishes, hold the lemon in one hand and the channel knife in the other. Dig the tip of the channel-shaped blade into the lemon at the middle, and rotate the lemon so that you make one long, narrow peel.

To make a lemon twist:

Gently rotate a long strip of lemon peel around a drinking straw, securing each end with pins to hold it in place. This can be done in advance; by the time your cocktail is ready, your twist will be beautiful and perfectly curled. Just remember to give it an extra twist over the drink, to release the natural oils over the surface of the cocktail.

Video

Notes

Lemons: Always begin by washing and drying your lemons. No matter what technique you use, don’t dig in too deep to the bitter pith or the juicy fruit. Use a light touch, and make sure you rotate the fruit so you don’t over grate.
Yield: 1 large lemon will yield about 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest.
Storage: Store leftover lemon zest covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Nutrition