The Gluten-Free Homemaker

In this house, we love lemony desserts.  Lemon juice is great for adding that lemon flavor, but even better is lemon zest.  According to dictionary.com, zest is “the thin outer peel of citrus fruit used for flavor.”  The tricky part  is to get a very thin layer of the peel.  Basically you want the part that has color to it, but not the white part underneath which has a bitter taste.

I used to just omit the zest, but then I started trying to use it a little.  It adds so much flavor if you get it right.  At first I tried making zest with a grater or a peeler, but it never worked very well.  Finally, I bought a zester, and I’m so glad I did.  This little tool does the job perfectly.  It scrapes off just the right depth of  skin and gives you little stringy bits of zest.

If you like lemon or other citrus flavor in your food, a zester if the tool for you.  Look for one where kitchen gadgets are sold, or purchase one online.

Labels: tools of the trade

# posted by Linda @ 9/03/2009