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Any time a recipe calls for lemon, orange or lime zest I go through this......can't get the zest off my grater! It sticks in the holes and on the grate and I have to try to scrape it out of the blades with a fork. I get maybe 1/4 teaspoon if I'm lucky. I've tried all types of graters, and same thing, every time.
Is there a trick to this? When I watch cooking shows, the chefs always seem to have a substantial pile of the stuff to add to recipes. What am I doing wrong?
I have a zester, but quickly found that the peels were not the same as zest. To make zest, I had to take the thin peels and chop them up into small bits using a knife. Hassle factor maxed out.
Then I bought a microplane. Works beautifully for citrus zest, garlic, and ginger. Cleans easily by turning the water on full blast and running the water over the microplane on BOTH sides.
When I use my microplane (grater) with ginger, I stick the ginger in the freezer for about twenty minutes first. The ginger falls off like a cold dry substance...maybe that works with a lemon too (or garlic!)?
Although I haven't tried this, rumor has it that if you place a piece of parchment paper between the grater and food item, nothing will stick to the instrument either.
I have a zester, but quickly found that the peels were not the same as zest. To make zest, I had to take the thin peels and chop them up into small bits using a knife. Hassle factor maxed out.
Then I bought a microplane. Works beautifully for citrus zest, garlic, and ginger. Cleans easily by turning the water on full blast and running the water over the microplane on BOTH sides.
Yeah, easy. Buy a zester. It peels off little strips just the right size. Using a grater just clogs up the grater with lemon peel you can't get out.
I would agree except both zesters I have purchased and neither were cheap, didn't work that well. They didn't seem to be sharp enough. I have started just using the regular graders; agree with OP, hard to get the zest off.
I have a zester, but quickly found that the peels were not the same as zest. To make zest, I had to take the thin peels and chop them up into small bits using a knife. Hassle factor maxed out.
Then I bought a microplane. Works beautifully for citrus zest, garlic, and ginger. Cleans easily by turning the water on full blast and running the water over the microplane on BOTH sides.
Me, too, and they aren't that expensive. In the $10-$15 range.
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