How to Zest a Lemon

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Here’s how to zest a lemon: 3 different ways! These are our top methods for adding citrus to all your recipes—without a zester.

Note: This method yields fine zest for using in recipes (not cocktail garnishes). **Want to zest a lemon for a cocktail garnish? Go to How to Make a Lemon Twist.

Author: Sonja Overhiser
Prep Time: 2 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 2 minutes
Yield: 1 tablespoon zest 1x
Category: Essentials
Method: Zested
Cuisine: Citrus

Ingredients

Scale

1 lemon
1 coarse microplane, fine grater, or vegetable peeler

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Instructions

Wash the lemon and dry it. Then use one of the zesting methods below:
Microplane: Hold the microplane in one hand, place one end on a flat surface and hold it at an angle. Hold the lemon in the other hand, and drag it down over the microplane holes. Remove the colored part of the skin only (not the pith). Gradually turn the lemon until all sides are zested.
Fine grater: Do the same as the microplane, using the finest holes on your box grater.
Peeler: Use a vegetable peeler to carefully peel off large pieces of the colored part of the skin only, dragging from the top to the bottom (not the pith). Then use a knife to mince the peel into very small pieces.

Find it online: https://www.acouplecooks.com/how-to-zest-a-lemon/