Lemon Peel in Rub


 
G

Gerry D.

TVWBB Pro
I was wondering if I could zest a lemon, dry the zest in the oven, and then run through the spice grinder instead of paying for dried lemon zest. Would this work?
 
yes.

I try to zest every piece of citrus prior to juicing. If I don't plan on using the zest I'll leave it on a plate and it'll dry in a couple of days.
 
Ditto. If you can avoid the oven do so (initial heat alters the flavor; heat after the zest has dried does not seem to).

If you use a fine Microplane to zest you will not need to grind it at all. It will come off very light and fluffy and will dry on the counter in just a matter of hours.

Zest should be stored in the freezer for best quality.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">If you use a fine Microplane to zest you will not need to grind it at all. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

avoid the microplane marketed as a citrus zester (large oval handle). If you look at the design, its like a plastic tennis racket and when you apply pressure on the zester it flexes at the handle. Mine ultimately failed and cracked on either side of the handle. I had to go back to the normal wand shaped microplane and realized that its was superior in function anyways.
 
Also, make sure it's stored in as air-free (read: oxygen free) a way as possible. I like the small "snack-size" zipper bags, rolled up to squeeze as much of the air -- the oxygen of which might adversely oxidize the oils in the zest -- out of the bag, and then zipped shut.
 
Yeah, avoid oven-drying as the process will cause the volatile oils to evaporate and the zest to lose potency.
 
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