Should you wash a lime before zesting it?

All types of fruit and vegetables should be washed prior to cutting to avoid transferring harmful bacteria from the outside into the fruit as you cut. But rinsing thoroughly is especially important for uses like zesting when you’ll actually be eating the outside peel.

What can I use in place of lime zest?

If you’re out of fresh limes to zest, you can substitute the same amount of lemon zest. Other citrus fruits like oranges and grapefruits may also add a similar brightness to recipes, but won’t work with every dish since their flavor profiles aren’t as versatile as limes and lemons. In recipes where the amount of liquid doesn’t have to be precise (like it does with baking), you can also use about twice the amount of fresh lime or lemon juice in place of zest. (The bottled stuff works in a pinch, but doesn’t pack the same pure flavor.)

How many limes do you need to make a tablespoon of zest?

A standard-sized lime yields about two teaspoons of zest. So if a recipe calls for a tablespoon of lime zest, you’ll need to use the grated peel of one and a half standard limes, or one extra-large fruit, to yield a full tablespoon.

How To Zest A Lime Without A Zester

By

Elizabeth Brownfield

Updated on November 13, 2023

Ounce for ounce, citrus zest is one of the best ways to add a pop of bright flavor to dishes both savory and sweet. From vegetables and vinaigrettes to cookies and pies, just a little bit of lime zest can add a punch of citrus taste to an array of recipes.

If zesting a lime seems like an unnecessarily “cheffy” extra step to take when cooking, baking, or cocktail-making—or if you think you need to buy a pricey single-use gadget to do it — this easy primer is for you.

What Exactly Is Zesting?

Zesting simply refers to shaving or cutting off the peel of a citrus fruit, including lemons, limes, oranges, and grapefruits. The peel differs from the juice of the fruit in that it contains all of its essential oils, which are concentrated with incredible flavor and aromas.

In between the peel and the juicy pulp is a white layer called the pith. Since the pith is unpleasantly bitter, the key to getting the best bright, citrus flavor when zesting is to shave or cut off just the colorful peel, leaving the bitter-tasting pith behind.

The next time you have a recipe that calls for lime zest and you don’t have a zester on hand—or when you want to garnish that margarita, gimlet, or other classic cocktail with a twist of lime—call on one of these three easy ways to zest with one of the tools you already have in your kitchen.

Try A Box Grater

You may not have a pricey Microplane grater in your kitchen arsenal, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have another type of zester that’s often overlooked: a box grater. The smallest holes on the box are specifically designed for zesting citrus peels.

Set your box grater on top of a cutting board to make collecting the grated zest easier.
Working on one section of the fruit at a time, use the grater to remove the green zest, rotating as you go until you’ve covered the entire fruit.

Just be extra careful to watch your fingers and knuckles as you go to avoid scrapes and cuts. This method produces very finely grated zest, which is good for all purposes.

Use A Vegetable Peeler

The trusty little gadget that you use to remove the unwanted peel of potatoes and carrots is also perfect for separating the citrus peel you do want from citrus fruits.

Use a sharp vegetable peeler (dull ones will be hard to work with) to remove the lime peel in wide strips.

How To Use Thick or Thin Strips

Use them whole for cocktails, in smoothies, or for soups, risottos, and other dishes where you’ll use them to infuse flavor, but then remove them before serving.
Using a chef’s knife or mini chopper and slice and dice the wide peels into smaller ribbons or squares.

Grab Your Paring Knife

This method proves you don’t need any fancy gadgets to zest citrus fruits. Simply use a sharp knife to remove the green peel of a lime in thin strips, doing your best to leave the white pith behind.

If you’re nervous about taking a sharp knife to a small, round object that may move around on a cutting board, follow the careful cutting method:

Cut lime in half and place the cut-sides down on a cutting board to stabilize the fruit and make it easier to cut.
Just like with the vegetable peeler method, from there you can opt to use the strips whole, or stack them and slice them vertically and horizontally into small pieces that will work for any kind of recipe.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should you wash a lime before zesting it?

All types of fruit and vegetables should be washed prior to cutting to avoid transferring harmful bacteria from the outside into the fruit as you cut. But rinsing thoroughly is especially important for uses like zesting when you’ll actually be eating the outside peel.
What can I use in place of lime zest?

If you’re out of fresh limes to zest, you can substitute the same amount of lemon zest. Other citrus fruits like oranges and grapefruits may also add a similar brightness to recipes, but won’t work with every dish since their flavor profiles aren’t as versatile as limes and lemons.
In recipes where the amount of liquid doesn’t have to be precise (like it does with baking), you can also use about twice the amount of fresh lime or lemon juice in place of zest. (The bottled stuff works in a pinch, but doesn’t pack the same pure flavor.)
How many limes do you need to make a tablespoon of zest?

A standard-sized lime yields about two teaspoons of zest. So if a recipe calls for a tablespoon of lime zest, you’ll need to use the grated peel of one and a half standard limes, or one extra-large fruit, to yield a full tablespoon.