You can zest a lemon without a zester using several common kitchen tools and simple techniques:
- Box Grater: Use the smallest holes on a box cheese grater to grate the lemon peel gently, avoiding the bitter white pith underneath. Move the lemon back and forth against the grater while rotating it to zest evenly
- Vegetable Peeler: Peel off thin strips of the lemon's yellow outer skin with a vegetable peeler, being careful not to include the white pith. Then finely chop the strips with a knife to create zest-sized pieces
- Paring Knife: Carefully cut away just the yellow peel from the lemon with a sharp paring knife, avoiding the pith. Lay the peel flat and slice it into very thin strips, then mince finely to replicate zest
- Knife and Scraping: Slice thin pieces of peel with a sharp knife, then scrape off any pith if necessary before mincing
Before zesting, wash the lemon well—soaking it in water with baking soda for 15 minutes can help remove pesticides effectively
. Freshly prepared zest can be used immediately or stored in the fridge for a day or frozen for longer storage
. These methods allow you to extract the flavorful lemon zest without specialized tools, using items you likely already have in your kitchen
