In this brief guide, we are going to answer the question “How many tablespoons of zest from 1 lemon?”, discuss answers to other related questions like what are the ways to zest lemon, and what can be the substitutes for lemon zest.
How many tablespoons of zest from 1 lemon?
One medium-sized lemon makes about 1 tablespoon of zest. This zest should be used immediately after grating or zesting for the most flavor. But still, if you want to store it to be used later, freezing citrus zest will serve you the best option.
5 easy ways to zest a lemon
To zest a lemon, the two most important gadgets; Microplane or citrus zester, can be used. But if you don’t have these gadgets, don’t worry! You can still zest a lemon in either of the following ways. But one thing that you need to make sure of is that while zesting lemons, you only remove the brightly colored flesh of the peel. Try to avoid the white part, or pith, directly underneath the peel as this is quite bitter.
Using a Microplane
To zest a lemon with a Microplane, hold the lemon in one hand and the Microplane in the other. Move the lemon back and forth over the grates of the Microplane, rotating as you go. Continue zesting the lemon, until the yellow peel is removed.
Using a citrus zester
To zest a lemon with a citrus zester, place the fine, sharp-edged holes on one end of the citrus according to the curvature of the fruit. Now, push sightly into the fruit and pull down to the other end. Continue doing this until the entire lemon peel is removed.
Using a cheese grater
To zest a lemon using a cheese grater, place the lemon on the side of the cheese grater that has the smallest holes. And move it back and forth, paying close attention to the placement of your fingers. Continue doing this until the entire yellow part is removed and only the pith remains.
Using a vegetable peeler
To zest a lemon using a vegetable peeler, place the sharp edges of the peel on one end of the lemon and push slightly into it. Now, pull down to the other end, paying close attention not to cut into the lemon too deep. Try to avoid removing the white part of the lemon as much as possible. Continue doing this until the entire peel is removed and only the pith remains. In the end, chop the lemon peel to make lemon zest.
Using a knife
To zest a lemon using a knife, hold the lemon steady on the cutting board and carefully cut it with a sharp knife, at an angle removing the bright, yellow peel, avoiding the white pith. Now, finely chop the lemon peel to make lemon zest.
Other FAQs about Lemon which you may be interested in.
How much juice from one lemon?
How much citric acid is in lemon juice?
What can be the substitutes for lemon zest?
Lemon zest is the brightly colored and intensely flavored outer skin of the lemon that is used to add tangy zip to certain recipes. But if you are out of lemons while preparing such dishes, there is no need to worry. You can try to add any other citrus fruit zest or you can simply use lemon juice, lemon extract, or dried lemon peel to serve the purpose.
- Citrus fruit zest
A little orange or lime zest can be added as the substitute for the lemon zest. Adding these substitutes will help you get the same texture and look of the final dish under preparation, but of course, the color and taste of the dish will be slightly different.
- Lemon extract
Adding lemon extract in place of lemon zest is quite an easy thing to do. But one thing that you need to keep in mind is the fact that the lemon extract is a concentrated form of lemon juice, so the amount to be added should be observed and measured carefully. As a general rule, you can add ½ tablespoon of lemon extract for every 1 tablespoon of lemon zest.
- Lemon juice
Lemon juice can also be added as a substitute for lemon zest. For every 1 tablespoon of lemon zest in a dish, you need to add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice.
- Dried lemon peel
Dried lemon zest can also be used in place of lemon zest. But as lemon peel has a more intense flavor than lemon zest, so you need to reduce the amount. As a general rule, you can add ⅓ tablespoons of lemon peel for 1 tablespoon of lemon zest.
Conclusion:
In this brief guide, we answered the question “How many tablespoons of zest from 1 lemon?”, discussed answers to other related questions like what are the ways to zest lemon, and what can be the substitutes for lemon zest.
