Tips on Zesting

Many infusions involving citrus use just the zest from the fruit.  To get the zest, you must remove just the outer layer of the peel.  You do not want to get any of the white pith underneath.  Getting pith in the infusion can cause it to become bitter.

I use an OXO Zester.  However, many people prefer a microplane zester.  Whichever you use, you'll want to follow these tips:

Thoroughly wash the citrus to remove any pesticides and wax.  Use hot water and a Vegetable Brush to remove as much wax as possible.  Dry the fruit.

Now, find the biggest bowl you have.  This will make it easier to ensure that you collect all of the zest.  Gently scrape your zester down the sides of the fruit over the bowl.  Make sure you aren't getting any pith.  It is more important to avoid getting the pith than to get every scrap of zest.  For example, the lemon on the left has not been zested, the one on the right has been:

Once the fruit is zested, set it aside for other use.  I usually juice them using a juicer and store the juice in the fridge for other recipes.    Lemons and limes are great for making Sour Mix.