Very often in cooking, especially when baking, lemon peel is added. Many argue what it really is, therefore, not knowing the exact answer, they buy ready-made lemon zest in the store. The zest is the thin peel of citrus fruits, peeled from the loose adjacent layer. You can make the lemon zest yourself.
It is necessary
-
- lemons;
- plain paper;
- sharp knife;
- grater.
Instructions
Step 1
Rinse the lemons thoroughly to keep them free of any dirt and scald them with boiling water. This is to ensure that the zest easily peels off the white layer under the crust. If the lemons have special labeled stickers, then remove them so that no traces remain.
Step 2
Use a sharp knife to slice off the skin of the lemon. This must be done carefully so as not to capture the subcrustal loose layer. The skin is easiest to cut in the form of a spiral tape.
Step 3
Spread the zest on a plate in a thin layer and, covered with sheets of clean paper, leave in a dry place for several days. A ventilated window sill or balcony is best suited for drying. Every day, the zest must be turned over so that it dries evenly.
Step 4
When the zest becomes brittle, it means that it is dry. Now grind it to a powdery state and pour the resulting powder into a jar in which you will store the zest. You can rub dry zest with your hands or with a spoon.
Step 5
You can make lemon zest in a slightly different way. Rub the lemon on a grater, leave the resulting grated skin in the sun for several days so that it dries properly. When using this method, the zest turns out to be of less quality, since when rubbed together with the zest, a white loose subcrustal layer is rubbed, which should not be present in the finished powder. In addition, when rubbing, lemon juice and pulp can get in, in this case, when such a zest is added to the dish, the bitter taste of lemon will be felt.
