Zesting

The best and quickest way to obtain zest from citrus fruit such as lemons or limes is to use a zester: about the size of a vegetable knife, it has a broad head with a row of small sharp-edged holes. You simply pull this across the skin of the fruit and the zest is sliced off in long thin strips, minus the bitter pith. An alternative method is to carefully peel the skin off the fruit with a sharp knife, leaving behind the white pith. Then chop the peel finely.