Although it is actually a winter fruit, citrus reminds us all of sunshine and warmth.
From lemonade on a hot sunny day, to the orange juice in a brunch mimosa, citrus fruits are a part of our everyday joy.
But juice isn’t the only way to get our citrus fix!
Here are a couple unique ways to unlock the magic of citrus zest!
The zest of the citrus is the outside part of the skin, that contains an amazingly powerful punch of flavor, accented by the essential oil of the fruit.
We think it should be used just as much as the juice, but it can be intimidating.
Here are a couple ways we get and keep zest on hand, and ready to use.
- Potato Peeler: Use a potato peeler to peel long strips of the rind, taking care to get as little of the white part (the pith) as possible, because the pith is extra bitter.
Place on a cookie sheet in your freezer to freeze fast. When fully frozen, pit in ziplock bags and keep frozen.
Use as necessary in drinks, cocktails, teas, soups, and preserves! Throw a couple in your regular water & feel like you’re in a health spa!
- Cheese grater: Use a very fine cheese grater, or zester to get as much of the zest of the citrus as you can. It won’t look like much, but don’t worry—a little zest goes a long way!
Spread the zest out on a non-stick baking sheet, and leave it in the oven to dry overnight.
Once the zest is dried, you can use it to make your own personal spice mix, put in some salt to have home-made citrus salt, or keep a shaker of it in the freezer for your extra zest needs!
When you get the zest as well as the juice, you are using the whole fruit, and unlocking flavors that would otherwise be expensive and time-consuming.
Put some zest in your life today!
