How to Grate Citrus Peel

By Sandy Hu
A new video for Video Friday

Grated citrus peel, also known as zest, adds an appealingly sharp citrus bite to dishes. Many recipes call for both the juice and zest.

In this video, Jen uses two tools, a rasp (often called a Microplane, which is a brand name) and a zester to show you how to grate the peel. The rasp gives a finer grated peel. Rasps have different sizes of grating teeth, from fine to coarse, so pick the size that suits your needs best. The zester gives thicker curlicues of grated peel.

Your recipe and your own taste preference will determine which tool is better for you. Whichever tool you use, grate just the colored part of the peel; do not grate the white part, called with pith, which is bitter.

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