What is lemon zest and how to zest lemon

                                       Your poor ancestors had to skin the hide of the might lemon with nothing but stone knives. Nowadays there are many kitchen tools that can do the job, and even one woodworking tool that found accidental success with chefs: the microplane.[1] A grater or vegetable peeler will get the job done as well, or you can pick up a paring knife and learn how grandpa did it in the savannah.
Step 1
1
Rinse the lemon. Cleaning fruit is especially important when you plan on eating the peel. Scrub vigorously under hot, soap water with your fingers or a clean sponge.
Step 2
Choose a sharp, small paring knife. The paring knife is probably the most difficult tool for this job, but it has its benefits. You don't have to clog your kitchen with a one-use tool, and a sharp knife makes clean, dry cuts compared to the wet, sticky clumps other methods can produce. Keep reading to learn the technique.[6]
Step 3
Cut off both ends of a clean lemon. After washing the lemon, cut off both ends where they begin to taper. Rest a cut surface flat on the cutting board.
Step 4
Slice off a thin strip of zest. Cut off a strip of rind from the side of the lemon, right where it meets the white pith. It may be easiest to start near the center of the lemon, where it bulges outward.
Step 5
Remove the white pith. Hold the strip flat against the board with one hand, yellow side down. Press the knife blade flat on top of the strip, with the blade pointing away from your hand. Scrape the top of the strip at a slight angle, removing most of the white pith.
Step 6
Julienne the strip. All this means is "cut it into thin strips." To avoid poking your fingers, hold the lemon peel in place with your fingers curled down into a "claw" shape. In this position, your knuckles are closer to the blade than your fingertips. As long as you keep the sharp edge of the knife below the level of your knuckles, you are unlikely to hurt yourself even if the knife slips.
Step 7
Dice the peel. Gather the thin strips in a tight row, than rotate them 90º. Cut the other way using the same technique as above. Try to make the zest pieces as small as possible.
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