What can I use instead of a lemon zester? There are a lot of things you can use instead of a lemon zester. There are lots of ways to zest without a zester, or even with one. But we have found that this gadget is just not for everyone, and there are better options out there. Find out about your answer by reading this article until this end. In this blog, we also have an article about microplane zester that you might want to read about it.
A zester is a kitchen utensil for obtaining zest from lemons and other citrus fruit.”
Wikipedia.org
What is Zester
Zester is a metal blade with sharp edges used to grate citrus fruits. It can be used to zest citrus fruits such as lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit, and more. This tool has many uses and is commonly used in cooking. In the kitchen, zester is used to remove the zest from the rind of citrus fruits. This can be done by simply holding the zester over the fruit and letting it rest on it for a few seconds.
You may also squeeze the rind gently between your fingers to release the zest. The easiest way to peel an orange or lemon is using a vegetable peeler. Peel away the skin and then cut out the white pithy part. After that you need to make small cuts along the inside of the fruit which will help you get all the juice out easily. We also have an article about what is a lemon zester if you want know more about it.
A special kitchen tool that is used to shave bits or strands from the outer most layer of covering on citrus fruits such as lemons, limes or oranges.”
Recipetips.com
What Can I Use Instead Of A Lemon Zester?
So, what can I use instead of a lemon zester? If you do not have a zester, you may use a paring knife or a vegetable peeler to remove the skin off your lemon. How to proceed?
- Cut a strip of yellow skin from the lemon using a vegetable peeler or paring knife. The peeler should readily extract the zest, but with the knife, you’ll need to be a bit more accurate.
- If necessary, remove any pith from the lemon strip using a knife.
- Cut the strip of lemon skin lengthwise into extremely thin strips, julienning the peel.
- Combine the strips and cut them crosswise into very fine dice. To imitate the lemon zester’s output, you want the bits to be as tiny as possible. While the cubes are somewhat bigger, they contain all of the important lemon oils and lack the bitterness of the pith.
- This ultra-fine dice is bursting with lemon flavor and may be substituted for lemon zest in any recipe calling for lemon zest. You may also use this method to zest oranges, limes, and other citrus fruits. Even after it has been zested, the remainder of your lemon may be used for various purposes.
Why buy zester?
There are several reasons why people prefer to buy lemon zester. Sometimes we don’t have time to sit down and prepare fresh ingredients. When this happens, we would rather just go ahead and purchase them ready-made. One of the best advantages of purchasing these pre-grated vegetables is that there is no loss of nutrients during their processing. Also, grating foods like citrus fruits makes it more convenient to chop and slice them into smaller pieces. Another advantage is that graters allow us to eat healthy while saving our time.
Consideration before buying lemon zester
Zester should have sharp edges so that they are safe to use. Zesters are usually made from stainless steel or chrome plated iron. Some models have plastic handles. Stainless steel is easier to clean since it does not rust. Most zesters come with different sizes depending on what type of grater you want.
A standard size for citrus is 3/16 inch in diameter. For bigger pieces of rind like lemons, oranges, etc., you would want something bigger than that.
Zesters are available in metal, wood, plastic and silicone. Metal ones are most durable but costlier. Wood ones are cheaper but do not last very long. Silicone ones are light weight and easy to clean. Also consider how much pressure you put on the grating surface when zesting. If your zester has blunt edges, you could damage the zest.
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