Using Citrus Zest When Cooking & Baking

When a recipe calls for “zest” of a citrus fruit, it’s referring to the colorful outer part of the skin, not the inner white part, which is known as the pith.

Common types of citrus used for zesting include lemons, limes, oranges, and grapefruits. Each has its unique flavor profile, so choose based on your recipe’s needs.

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The zest of citrus fruits contains all of the aromatic citrus oils and provides a hint of citrus tang to the recipe.

Use zest sparingly, as it has a potent flavor. Start with a small amount and adjust to taste.

Use a microplane grater or a zester to remove the zest. Make sure to only grate the colorful outer layer, avoiding the bitter white pith underneath.

If you don’t have a microplane grater or a zester, a simple method of obtaining a fine zest is by rubbing the fruit against the smallest holes of a cheese grater.

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The Solution To Having Zest On Hand When You Need It

After squeezing or juicing lemons or oranges do not toss the peels.

Freeze the peels or rinds in a freezer bag and whenever you need zest of a lemon or orange, you can grate it from the frozen peels.

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The flavor is just the same as if the peel were fresh.

It will save a trip to the store just to buy a citrus fruit for a small amount of zest.

Besides freezing the citrus peelings, here are some other ideas as to what you can do to save zest for baking and cooking.

Blanch The Zest

Immerse peels in cold water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Drain the zest. This technique allows to remove their bitterness.

Make Zest Powder

Set zest ribbons to dry for 2 days. Next, place zest in a preheated oven (250-300 degrees) for 5-10 minutes.

Let cool and grind them into a powder using a mortar or a grinder. Ideal to finely season any recipe calling for zest.

Flavor Booster

Citrus zest can enhance the flavor of both sweet and savory dishes.

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In baking, it pairs well with cakes, cupcakes, muffins, cookies, and frostings.

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In cooking, it adds brightness to marinades, dressings, sauces, and even roasted vegetables.

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Incorporate zest into sugar or salt to create flavored versions that can be used in various recipes.

By adding citrus zest, you can elevate the taste and aroma of your dishes, making them more refreshing and flavorful.

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More Recipes Using Zest

• Curried Chicken With Coconut Rice & Lime Yogurt Sauce – lime zest
• Blueberry Lemon Curd – lemon zest
• Pan-Fried Herb Citrus Almond Crusted Chicken Breast – orange zest
• Instant Pot Coconut Rice – lime zest
• Chicken Potato Leek Soup – lemon zest
• Orange Cranberry Cupcakes – orange zest

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