Many South Beach Diet™ recipes call for the zest of
fruits like lemons
or oranges. But if you're a cooking newbie, you may have no clue what
zest is or how to get it. Here are the basics on zest and its uses.
Zest is the colorful, outermost rind of citrus fruits
like
lemons and oranges. It contains strong perfumes and a tangy flavor, and
is, therefore, a common ingredient in both savory and sweet dishes. It
also makes an elegant garnish.
You can remove the zest of a citrus fruit using a knife,
a
vegetable peeler, a grater, or a special tool called a zester. Each one
of these tools creates a different size zest, which can be used for
different purposes. A zester is a hand-held utensil with five tiny
holes that can be used to create small strips of the flavorful zest. To
use a zester, place it on the rind and firmly pull toward you. A grater
can be used to create finer particles of zest, and a peeler can be used
to create wider strips. In addition, you can use a handy new tool
called a Microplane (a refashioned woodworking rasp) to create fine
zest. The tool you use will depend on the recipe and what you have on
hand in your kitchen.
A few things to keep in mind when zesting citrus fruit:
- Avoid stripping off the white inner membrane (pith).
The pith is
bitter and fairly inedible. It will not make a good addition to a
recipe.
- Always remember to zest fruit before juicing it. It
will be almost impossible to zest afterwards.
- To get the best zest, buy fruit that is firm and
brightly colored with no soft spots. Bumpy fruit will yield the most
zest.
- Wash the fruit before zesting to remove dirt,
pesticides, and wax residue.
- Use zest immediately, since it will lose its flavor
over time.
For more kitchen tips, visitThe South
Beach Diet™ Kitchen. section of the Web site!
