Ask Culinary Cory: Zesting

Zest makes my recipe taste bitter.  What am I doing wrong?

While attending a Pampered Chef party, I watched in agony as the hostess fiercely ground the peel of an orange down to its soft flesh.  I explained to her the proper way to zest was by only removing the outer peel of the citrus based ingredient.  This allows the natural oils trapped just below the peel to be released to their full potential.  The white part is bitter and should never even come close to being incorporated into your favorite recipe.

There are two ways I prefer to zest a lemon, lime or orange.  Both are equally as delicious, it just depends on the application and the desired result.

Citrus Zester (pictured above): This zester has been an invaluable tool for adding flavor to my dishes.  The tiny holes produce long elegant strands of the peel that can be used as a garnish or added during the cooking process for a wonderful bust of flavor.  These long strands are best used when the recipe calls for steeping, simmering or boiling for a period of time.  This will allow the citrus oils to properly release and blend harmoniously with the other flavors in the dish.

Microplane Grater (pictured below): One of the most versatile graters in the world!  It not only finely grates the peel into micro shreds, but can also be used for hard cheeses and spices.  This size of grated zest works well in batters and thick recipes that require the flavor to be distributed throughout the entire dish.  The air always seems to become intoxicated with a sweet orange scent that makes me know it’s full of flavor.

The one main things to remember is zest can be a pretty intense ingredient.  A little goes a long way with this baby.  Now it’s your turn.  What’s your favorite recipe that uses zest?

Authors Note:  This blog post is part of a series that answers a few basic cooking questions I have received in the past.  Feel free to learn more about the series by checking out Ask Culinary Cory: The Series.  You can also check out the other posts in the series called Ask Culinary Cory: Brown Sugar and Ask Culinary Cory: Food Photos.

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