Knife work
How to zest a lemon, lime or orange
Scrape off just the thin, colored outer skin of a citrus fruit, where the fragrant oils are.
Step by step
- Wash and dry the fruit.
- Hold a rasp grater over the bowl (or over the food, so the oils land there too).
- Draw the fruit across the grater with light pressure, turning it after each stroke or two.
- Stop as soon as you see the white layer underneath, then move to a new spot.
How you know it's done
The fruit looks pale but still has its white layer, and the zest is fluffy and colored, not white. One lemon gives about 1 tablespoon.
Common mistakes
- Grating into the white pith, which is bitter.
- Juicing the fruit first: zest it while it is whole and firm.
Simmerbee recipes that use it (3)
In those recipes the word is underlined in the steps; tap it for the short version. In hands-free cook mode, ask “How do I zest?”