What’s the easiest way to zest citrus?

Last Updated on November 20, 2023 by Aaron von Frank

It’s recently come to our attention that some people don’t know how to easily zest a lemon, orange, or other citrus. This article will show you how! 

There’s way more citrus to zest than just lemons…

We grow about a dozen varieties of citrus in containers, which means we get to enjoy loads of citrus from late fall through early spring. 

Two of our favorite and most productive citrus varieties are Moro blood oranges and Meyer lemons. Both of these citrus varieties are known for their wonderful fruit, but they also have an added bonus: they make an amazing zest.

Zest from a young blood orange. The skin continues to develop from orange to deep red throughout the growing season. By late January, the skin and zest changes from dark orange to red.

What is citrus zest?

In case you don’t know, citrus zest is the finely grated flavoring made from the colored outer surface of citrus skin that sits above the white spongy pith layer.

When you zest citrus, you’re removing the bright and colorful outer layer of the citrus fruit’s skin, not the white pith.

Zest has high citrus oil content and imparts a strong citrusy flavor (with slightly bitter notes) when used in foods and beverages.    

While lemon zest is probably the most commonly used type of citrus zest, other types of citrus also make an excellent zest: oranges, limes, citron, etc. 

Should you use organic citrus to make citrus zest?

One quick warning: we highly recommend you only make zest using certified organic or home grown citrus. Conventionally grown citrus receives quite a bit of pre- and post-harvest synthetic pesticide applications.

Thus, conventional citrus fruits’ skin/zest is likely to contain high concentrations of pesticide residue. (In the case of certain systemic pesticides, these can’t be washed off.) 

We’re confident saying there is no pesticide residue on our citrus zest since these came off trees growing in pots in our front yard.

Making matters worse, the US citrus industry is in the midst of battling citrus greening, a bacterial disease carried tree-to-tree by Asian citrus psyllids, a tiny flying insect. Among other symptoms, citrus greening causes citrus fruit deformations, making the fruit unmarketable. The disease often kills infected trees within a few years.     

In Florida alone, 90% of the citrus trees are infected and crop losses have surpassed $10 billion annually. That means conventional citrus farmers can either switch to a different crop or engage in chemical warfare with the pest insects. This is one of the reasons we grow our own citrus (using organic methods) in Greenville, SC – far north of the psyllids’ range.    

Long story short: we recommend only making zest from citrus you grow yourself without pesticides or certified organic citrus wherein farmers are not allowed to use synthetic pesticides. 

Zest: another small step to reduce food waste 

When you grow your own food, you appreciate how much time, effort, and energy goes into the process. That relationship means you tend to waste a lot less of your food. And food waste goes into the compost which then grows more food. 

At our house, citrus like kumquats and calamondin oranges get eaten whole, skin and all. Zero waste.

However, the skins on citrus fruit like oranges and lemons that aren’t great to eat as-is, still have colorful and flavorful zest to offer. Before eating the tasty fruit inside, we zest these types of citrus — and we encourage you to do the same! 

Some citrus varieties like calamondin oranges and kumquats are eaten whole, skin and all. All other citrus varieties can be used to make zest. Others, like Buddhas hand citrons (pictured top right) contain no fruit pulp and are only used for zest, candies, and other concoctions.

What’s the easiest way to zest lemons, oranges, and other citrus?

Nope, a cheese grater is NOT our preferred tool for zesting citrus. This device is too large and cumbersome and makes it all-to-easy to zest your own fingers in the process. 

Nope, not a carrot peeler either. These tools are easy to handle and don’t tend to cause hand injury, but they make large, thick pieces of citrus skin rather than finely grated zest. (These are good for dressing up the side of a cocktail glass though.)

The single best tool we’ve found for quickly and easily zesting citrus to an ideal consistency is a microplaner. Cost? $10. 

Common kitchen tools that can be used for removing and saving the skin of oranges. Kitchen grater, carrot peeler, and microplane. A microplane is by far the best tool for making citrus zest, in our opinion.

How to zest citrus with a microplane

Once you have a microplane, you’ll never have to waste your lemon or orange zest again. Here’s how to zest your citrus:    

1. Zest the fruit BEFORE you eat or juice it. Once the pulp is gone, it’s very hard to zest the loose, saggy skin of the fruit. 
2. Over a plate or cutting board, work your way around the outside of the fruit with the microplane, removing the colorful outer layer of skin as you go.
3. The zest will build up on the underside of the microplane, and you’ll have to tap it off into a pile on the plate/cutting board. Keep going until there’s no more outer skin left on your citrus. 

It’s that simple!  

Using a microplane to make citrus zest.

Drying, storing, and using citrus zest

Even if you don’t use your citrus zest immediately, no problem. Spread it flat on a plate, cookie sheet, or wax paper, and it will dry in about 4-5 days. 

You’ll know the zest is dry when it’s crunchy to the touch. At that point, you can smash it in your fingers to form it into a more loose powder-like texture and store it either in a ziploc, a jar, or a spice bottle until you’re ready to use it. From there, it can be stored for a year or more. 

Top 10 ways to use citrus zest 

Citrus zest offers a unique taste that’s great for flavoring a wide variety of foods and beverages.

Each type of citrus has unique colors and flavors, as does their zest. We wish you could smell this photo! Left to right: Meyer lemon, Australian blood lime, makrut lime, Moro blood orange.

What are the best ways to use citrus zest?

Here are out top-10 recommendations for using your citrus zest: 

1. “cellos” such as limoncello and orangecello (or as a flavoring in other adult beverages),
2. flavoring in homemade vinegar and other ferments, 
3. added to a salad dressing, 
4. curd (which is like a tart citrus pudding),
5. citrus sugar, 
6. added to baked goods (like our summer breakfast bread), 
7. added to sauces and dips like our garlic aoioli, 
8. as a colorful finishing garnish on pretty much any dish,  
9. flavoring in brine,
10. as a flavoring in pretty much any seafood or pasta dish. 

We hope this article helps you use more parts of your citrus while enjoying all the delicious flavors and beautiful colors of citrus zest! 

KIGI,

Other articles citrus-lovers will enjoy: 

• Recipe: Meyer lemon bars with rosemary browned butter shortbread crust 
• How to grow citrus in pots in any climate zone
• How to grow yuzu: the cold-hardy citrus 
• Recipe: fresh guava and Meyer lemon ice cream
• Recipe: calamondin marmalade with baby ginger 
• Buddha’s hand citron: make tea, candy, and simple syrup from the same recipe
• How to grow and make lemon blossom tea