What is the difference between lemon juice and zest?

Lemon juice is an acid liquid that you squeeze out of a whole lemon while lemon zest is part of the lemon peel, the outer part of the lemon fruit . Lemon zest contains fragrant citrus oils that taste utterly delicious in various cooking and baking recipes.

How to zest without grater?

Either a knife or peeler is a better option than a fork, but if you really only have a fork handy, you can use it to get some zest from your lemon in a pinch. Use the tines of the fork to gently but firmly scrape the outermost layer of the lemon.

Do I really need lemon zest?

Do you really need to use it? The answer is most certainly, “Yes!” As opposed to lemon juice (fresh or bottled) or lemon extract, lemon zest delivers a brighter, tangier flavor. So, I guess if you want a dish that just has a mediocre level of lemon flavor you don't have to bother.

Is lemon zest important?

The zest benefits the lemons as much as it benefits us when we want all the flavor possible for making lemon bars, cakes, pasta and drinks: it's there to protect the inner parts of the lemon from pests, the buggy kind and the microorganism kind .

Is lemon zest healthy?

Like other citrus fruits, lemon peels contain vitamin C, which can help keep your immune system strong and healthy. If you're starting to feel sick, zesting lemon peel into your foods or even in your tea could help give your body the extra boost it needs to power through.

Can I use citric acid instead of lemon zest?

Lemon Juice Substitute Do not use this substitute in recipes calling for zest, since citric acid has none of its aromatic complexity.

Can I use lime juice instead of zest?

In recipes where the amount of liquid doesn't have to be precise (like it does with baking), you can also use about twice the amount of fresh lime or lemon juice in place of zest . (The bottled stuff works in a pinch, but doesn't pack the same pure flavor.)

What is the best tool for zesting lemons?

To zest a lemon, you can use a Microplane, citrus zester, vegetable peeler, box grater, or a knife . While a Microplane yields the finest zest, a vegetable peeler or knife provides larger ribbons. The key to zesting a lemon is to avoid the pith — the bitter, white part of the peel underneath.

How much zest comes off one lemon?

How much zest do you get from one lemon? One medium-sized lemon will yield about 1 tablespoon of zest. If you have extra lemons on hand, feel free to grate them all and store zest in the freezer.

Should you zest or squeeze a lemon first?

If your recipe calls for zest and juice, make sure to zest before you juice . It's much, much easier to zest a whole fruit than the squeezed pieces.

How to make lemon zest strips?

Using a paring knife: Be sure the knife you're using is sharp. Carefully cut into the skin and slide the knife around the fruit, between the zest and the pith. Like the peeler, a paring knife gives you large pieces of zest. For smaller pieces of zest, slice into thin strips or mince into pieces with a paring knife.

What Is Lemon Zest? (2024)

So many recipes call for lemon zest for the purpose of infusing intense, lemony flavor into a dish. But what is lemon zest, exactly? And what's the best way to zest a lemon? Are there any substitutes for lemon zest? Refer to this guide on lemon zest the next time you're looking to add some zing to any recipe.

What Is Lemon Zest?

Lemon zest, or the zest of any citrus fruit, simply refers to the outermost layer of the peel known as the flavedo. This layer contains loads of natural oils that are full or flavor and not as acidic as the tart juice. For this reason, lemon zest is used to infuse concentrated amounts of sweet, citrus flavor into a variety of dishes.

What's the Difference Between Lemon Zest and Lemon Peel?

Lemon zest comes from the peel of a lemon, but it does not include the inner layer of the peel known as the albedo. This inner layer contains the "pith," or the soft, white, substance that has a naturally bitter taste.

What Is Lemon Zest Used For?

Many recipes — both sweet and savory — will call for lemon zest when a dish just needs that extra zing. Grated lemon zest is commonly used in baking, sauces, marinades, and salad dressings. Larger zest pieces work well for garnish on cakes, pies, and most famously on co*cktails like a classic lemon drop martini.

What Is a Substitute for Lemon Zest?

If you don't have fresh lemons on hand, you can use a number of pantry staples for similar flavor. Each substitute has varying levels of intensity, so be sure to substitute the proper ratio:

1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest = 1 teaspoon dried lemon peel
1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest = 1 ½ teaspoons lemon extract
1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest = 6 tablespoons lemon juice (adjust you recipe accordingly for excess liquid)

If you're just using the lemon zest as a garnish, other citrus zests like orange or lime will substitute in just fine.

How Much Lemon Zest Is In One Lemon?

It varies from lemon to lemon, but one medium-sized lemon equals about two to three tablespoons juice and about one tablespoon lemon zest.

How Much Juice Is Really In One Lime?

How to Zest a Lemon

While certain kitchen gadgets can certainly make zesting a lemon a lot easier, you can still do it with items you already have in your kitchen.

Both a microplane and a cheese grater are great for achieving finely grated lemon zest. Simply run the side of the lemon back and forth over the grates, rotating as you go.

A citrus zester or channel knife will give you slightly longer, curled strands that can be used either to infuse flavor or to garnish overtop a dish.

If you don't have any of these gadgets in your kitchen arsenal, never fear! A vegetable peeler or paring knife will work, it will just take a little more effort on your end.

To zest using a vegetable peeler or paring knife, simply peel the outermost layer of the rind with the peeler, using extra caution not to cut too deep and hit the pith. Once you've removed as much of the zest as you need, you can either leave it in large chunks, or use a knife to finely chop until it reaches more of a grated texture. For more, check out our guide to zesting lemons, limes, and oranges.

Related:

How to Make Lemon Curd
Pucker Up for Our 21 Best Sweet/Tart Lemon Desserts
Browse our entire collection of Lemon Recipes.