Lemon zest is the outermost layer of the lemon peel, also known as the flavedo. It is the colorful part that sits right on top of the white rind and contains loads of flavor. Lemon zest is often used in cooking and baking to give foods a tangy lemon flavor, and it can be used with or without lemon juice to add a fresh zing to recipes. The zest can taste even stronger than the juice and is often used in lemon-flavored baked or cooked recipes like lemon blueberry bread and lemon poppy seed muffins.
To zest a lemon, you can use a microplane grater, a vegetable peeler, or a box grater. When using a microplane grater, hold the lemon in one hand and the grater in the other, and gently scrape the lemon against the grater, being careful to avoid the white pith. One medium lemon will yield about 2 tablespoons of lemon zest.
Lemon zest is a versatile ingredient that can be used in a variety of dishes, including baked goods, salad dressings, sauces, and cocktails. It can also be combined or mixed with sugar to create a fragrant lemon sugar.
