The lime zest is the outer green layer of the peel and contains the fragrant and fragrant oils of the fruit; it is an excellent ingredient for giving an intense aroma to cocktails, desserts and many other preparations. The tool that allows you to quickly and easily collect the zest for culinary uses is the grater, while a rigalimoni is more suitable for decorative strips. However, with a little practice and work, you can get the lime zest with a small knife or potato peeler.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: With a Grater
Step 1. Wash the lime under cold running water
Rub it with your fingers to get rid of any dirt or wax, even if you can't see anything with the naked eye. At the end, pat it dry with a clean cloth, so it won't slip during the next few steps.
Step 2. Place the grater on a cutting board at a 45 ° angle
The grater can be flat or curved and has small sharp holes in the surface. This is the most suitable tool for obtaining a fine "powder" of peel with little effort.
If your grater has several sections with holes of different diameters, use the one with the smaller holes
Step 3. Gently push the fruit onto the grater
Grab it near the base, place it on the tool and push it to the cutting surface. The zest should fall like a fine drizzle over the cutting board.
- Remember that the grater blades are angled in a certain direction. Pushing the fruit in a certain direction creates a peel powder, while in the opposite direction nothing happens. The cutting part of the grater must face upwards, in contact with the fruit.
- If you are using a grater with large holes, be careful to work only on the colored layer of the rind.
Step 4. Flip the lime to grate the rest of the zest
Work one area at a time until you remove the colored part. When you get to the white layer (called "albedo"), rotate the citrus fruit and move on to another section, always proceeding with the same method.
Be careful not to grate the albedo because it is bitter
Step 5. Take the grated zest and transfer it to a small bowl
Once you have removed all the peel from the lime or when you have a sufficient quantity, put the "naked" fruit away for future use. With a knife, scrape the residues off the cutting board and pour them into a bowl or directly into the pot with the other ingredients.
Don't waste time and energy trying to get rid of every single piece of zest. Towards the end it will not be easy to grate the fruit
Step 6. Immediately rinse the grater or place it in a warm place to dry
If you let the zest residue dry on the instrument, subsequent cleaning operations will be quite complicated. Wash it under running water immediately and scrub it with a stiff bristle brush. Alternatively, you can avoid the use of water: place the grater near the stove or on a window in full sun: the residues will dry out and it will be easy to remove them with a brush.
Method 2 of 3: With a Rigalimoni
Step 1. Wash and dry the lime
Hold it under cold running water and rub it gently. Then dry it with a cloth.
Step 2. Prepare the cutting board and rigalimoni
It is a kitchen tool made up of several thin blades or small sharp holes that create long curls of zest, great for garnishing your preparations. Alternatively, you can mince these strips and incorporate them into recipes.
This tool is available in home improvement stores and supermarkets
Step 3. Drag the file along the surface of the file
If you are creating decorations for a cocktail or a dish, remove the albedo together with the colored part of the peel to keep the strips intact. If you need to use the zest for cooking, try to peel only the colored layer off the fruit.
Step 4. Rotate the file and repeat the process
Once you have peeled off some curls of zest and brought the white layer underneath to the surface, turn the fruit over and work on an intact section of the peel. Continue like this until you have the required amount of zest.
The thickness of the peel varies from fruit to fruit, much more than in other citrus fruits; for this reason it is difficult to predict how much can be obtained from a single fruit. If the recipe instructs you to use "the zest of a lime" without specifying the grams or variety of lime, then calculate about 7-10 g
Step 5. Finely chop the strips (optional)
If the curls are for decorative purposes only, skip this step. If you need the zest for cooking, chop the pieces with a sharp knife.
Method 3 of 3: With a Peeler or a Knife
Step 1. Use this method only if you have no other tools available
If you don't have a cheese grater or a vegetable knife, then a vegetable peeler or knife can be useful. This method is not recommended if you need to get fine compost and perfect zest curls.
Step 2. Wash and dry the citrus fruit
Hold it under running water and rub it with your fingers to remove dirt. Finally dry it by dabbing it with kitchen paper.
Step 3. Place it on the cutting board and hold it steady with your non-dominant hand
Check that the cutting board is clean and that the shelf is stable. Grab the fruit near the base.
If you are right-handed, grab it with your left hand, and vice versa
Step 4. Get the peeler or knife
Place the blade on the rind of the fruit with the cutting edge facing you. Do not position the sharp edge outwards, otherwise you will have less control of the operation and will be more likely to injure yourself.
Step 5. Carefully and precisely, scrape the peel off the citrus fruit
Pull the peeler or small knife towards you by pressing lightly into the zest. You should only remove the colored part and not the albedo (the white part below). A certain pressure in the peel allows you a more controlled and constant cut.
Step 6. If the strips of peel are not just for decorative purposes, remove the albedo still attached to the peel
Use a sharp knife and scrape off the white, pulpy portion of the peel. This step is highly recommended if you have to use the zest for cooking, as the albedo releases a bitter aftertaste. However, if you plan to use zest only to garnish a cocktail, then you can skip this step.
Step 7. Chop the zest into small pieces (optional)
Use the same knife to finely chop the peel, so you can add it to your preparations. You can wrap leftovers (and peeled fruit) in cling film and store them in the refrigerator for future use.
Advice
- If the lime is too soft to peel it off effectively, place it in the freezer for a couple of minutes to make it firmer.
- The best limes are those that are bright in color and that release an intense aroma when grated. Thin-skinned ones, such as lime, are difficult to grate.
- If you don't want to clean the grater you can protect it with a layer of cling film or baking paper. This may not be fully effective and the paper or plastic may break. Use sturdy materials.
- If you need both the peel and juice of the lime, remove the peel before squeezing it.
- You can refrigerate the peeled limes and use them for other recipes. Wrap them with cling film to keep them from drying out.
