How to zest a lemon?

 

The lemon peel is the green outer layer of the skin, which contains delicious aromas and oils. Lemon zest adds intense flavor to juices, desserts and many other recipes. The simplest way to get a small amount of lemon zest is to use a microplane zester. To garnish thin slices of it, you can use regular lemon zest. But with a little practice and effort, you will be able to do it just with simple tools such as a sharp knife or a vegetable peeler.

 

Step 1: Wash the lemon under cold running water. 

• Gently rub it with your fingers to remove any dirt or wax, even if there is no visible dirt on the lemon. 
• Dry the lemon with a clean towel to make it cleaner and easier to hold.

 

Step 2: Attach your grater to a cutting board at 45 degrees. 

• A grater is a flat or curved kitchen tool that has small, sharp holes on its surface. You can use it to obtain a small lemon zest with little effort.
• If you have a grater with several sizes of holes, use the smallest one. The rasp does not have to be made of micropylene, but you can use it as a grater.

 

Step 3: Gently pass the lemon over the surface of the microplane zester. 

• Begin by placing the lemon on the microplane zester near the base. Stir the lemon on the slides. This will grate the lemon to finely crush it, and it will fall on a cutting board to pick it up.
• Note that the blades have a direction. Sliding the lemon in the opposite direction of the blades will produce lemon peels, while sliding it in the opposite direction will produce no results. The edge of the boards should face the ceiling.
• If you used a fine rasp instead of the regular one, pass the lemon very gently over the rasp to avoid reaching the bitter white flesh under the skin.

 

Step 4: Roll the lemon until you have all the skin. 

• Grate the first portion until the entire colored portion is finished. When you reach the white pulp, roll the lemon so that you can pass another part of the colored peel over the grater in the same way.
• Beware of grating the bitter white pulp under the skin.

 

Step 5: Collect the skin and place it in a small bowl. 

• When you grate the whole lemon or when you reach the lemon zest you need, reserve the lemon for later use. Use a knife to scrape the borscht from the grater in a small bowl, or directly into the dish you are preparing, depending on the recipe.
• Don't bother grating a whole lemon. Some parts of the lemon are difficult to grate, such as the ends.

 

Step 6: Rinse the grater immediately or let it dry in a warm place. 

If you leave residue of pieces in the holes of the grater, it may be difficult to clean them once they have dried. Use running water to wash them immediately and scrub them with a hard bristle brush. You can also leave the rasp in a warm place near a fireplace or on a sunny windowsill. The heat will help dry the stuck-on residue, making it easier to clean with the brush.

 

EXTRA TIPS

• If the lemon is soft and difficult to grate, you can put it in the freezer for two minutes to firm it up.
• The best type of lemon is the shiny one that has a strong scent when scraped. The soft skin of a lemon is difficult to zest, like a native lemon.
• If you have to sprinkle lemons and juice on them, grate the lemons before squeezing them.
• You can save the grated lemon and squeeze it for later. Cover it with plastic wrap to keep it from drying out.