3 Ways To Zest A Lime - WikiHow

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Terms of Use wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Learn why people trust wikiHow How to Zest a Lime PDF download Download Article Co-authored by Chef Jeff Woodward

Last Updated: March 10, 2025 Approved

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  • Using a Microplane or Fine Grater
    • |
  • Using a Traditional Zester
    • |
  • Using a Vegetable Peeler or Paring Knife
    • |
  • Video
    • |
  • Expert Interview
    • |
  • Q&A
    • |
  • Tips
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  • Things You'll Need
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This article was co-authored by Chef Jeff Woodward. Jeff Woodward is a Private Chef and the Owner of The Rogue Chef based in Branson, Missouri. With over 20 years of experience in the restaurant industry, he has cooked for esteemed clients including The Harlem Globetrotters, Peyton Manning, Mark Wahlberg, and Justin Timberlake. Chef Jeff won the Branson Tri-Lakes News Reader's Choice Award 2023 for Best Catering. He has been the Featured Chef Demonstrator for 2 years in a row for The Women's Show in Springfield, MO. The Rogue Chef has been the Hollister Chamber of Commerce Spotlight Chef, an award published in Tri-Lakes News. Chef Jeff's food has been featured on KY3 Television. He publishes a recipe weekly in the Branson Globe newspaper and monthly in Lost on the Lake Magazine. He published a feature article for Chef Talks in Discover Home and Style Magazine. He has an associate’s degree from Southwestern Illinois College and a Culinary Arts degree with a Certification in Baking from Ozark Technical College. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. In this case, several readers have written to tell us that this article was helpful to them, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 496,292 times.

The zest of a lime is the outer green layer of peel, which contains fragrant and flavorful oils. Lime zest adds intense flavor to cocktails, desserts and a number of other recipes. The easiest tool for creating fine lime zest for cooking is a microplane, while long garnish strips or cocktail twists can be made with a traditional zester. However, with a little more effort and practice, either form of zest can be created with nothing more than a sharp knife or vegetable peeler.

Things You Should Know

  • To zest a lime with a grater, position the grater above a cutting board and push the lime across it, rotating the lime to remove all the skin.
  • Pull a zester along the lime’s surface, rotating the lime so that you can remove the colored zest in thin strips.
  • The lime zest can also be peeled using a vegetable peeler as a last resort—though you may have to trim or chop the zest afterward.

Steps

Method 1 Method 1 of 3:

Using a Microplane or Fine Grater

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  1. Step 1 Wash the lime under cool, running water. 1 Wash the lime under cool, running water. Rub the limes gently with your fingers to remove grime or waxy substances, even if there is no visible dirt on the lime. Pat dry with a clean towel to clean the lime further and make it easier to grip.
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Zest a Lime 2 Place your microplane above a cutting board at a 45-degree angle. A microplane grater is a flat or curved metal kitchen tool with tiny, sharp holes across its surface. It can be used to produce finely grated lime zest with little effort.[1]
    • If you have a grater with several sizes of holes, use the smallest size. It may or may not be a microplane, but can be used as a zester nonetheless.
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  3. Watermark wikiHow to Zest a Lime 3 Gently push the lime across the surface of the microplane. Rest your lime on top of the microplane, near the base. Push the lime gently across the blades. This should shave the skin into a fine zest, which will fall onto the cutting board for you to collect.
    • Notice that the blades are angled in one direction. Pushing the lime against the cutting edges of the blades will produce zest, while pushing it in the opposite direction will have no effect. The cutting edges of the blades should be facing up toward the ceiling.
    • If you are using a fine grater instead of a microplane, push as gently as possible to avoid digging into the bitter, white pith beneath the skin.
  4. Watermark wikiHow to Zest a Lime 4 Rotate the lime to zest the rest of the fruit. Zest the first area until the colored skin has been removed. Once the white pith beneath the skin is revealed, rotate the lime to rub a new section of the colored skin over the microplane in the same way.
    • Be careful not to remove the bitter white pith beneath the skin.
  5. Watermark wikiHow to Zest a Lime 5 Collect the zest and place it in a small bowl. Once the whole lime has been zested, or you have as much zest as you need, set aside the lime for later use. Use a knife to scrape the zest off the cutting board and into a small bowl, or directly into the dish you are cooking as instructed by the recipe.
    • You don't need to spend the effort getting every last piece of zest out of the lime. The ends of the lime may be difficult to zest, for instance.
  6. Step 6 Rinse the microplane immediately or leave it in a warm location to dry out. 6 Rinse the microplane immediately or leave it in a warm location to dry out. If you allow the zest residue to dry in the tiny holes of the microplane, it can be difficult to clean out later. Use running water to wash it out immediately, scrubbing with a thick-bristled brush. Alternatively, try using no water at all and setting the microplane near a stove or on a sunny windowsill. The heat may be enough to dry out the stuck pieces until they can be easily brushed off.[2]
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Method 2 Method 2 of 3:

Using a Traditional Zester

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  1. Step 1 Wash and dry the lime. 1 Wash and dry the lime. Hold the lime under a stream of cool water and rub gently. Pat dry with a towel.
  2. Step 2 Get out your cutting board and zester. 2 Get out your cutting board and zester. A zester is a kitchen tool with several tiny blades or sharp holes, which creates long, curling ribbons of lime zest, perfect for garnishing. Alternatively, these strips can then be chopped finely for use in cooking.
    • Some refer to this tool as a "traditional zester" and call microplanes "microplane zesters."
  3. Watermark wikiHow to Zest a Lime 3 Pull the zester along the surface of the lime. If you are creating a garnish for a cocktail or dish, remove part of the white pith along with the colored zest in order to keep the curl intact. If you are using the zest for cooking, try to only remove thin strips of the colored zest.
  4. Watermark wikiHow to Zest a Lime 4 Rotate the lime and repeat the process. Once the strips have been removed and the white pith beneath is exposed, rotate to an untouched section of the lime. Continue to pull the zester over the lime until you have the amount of zest you need for your recipe.
    • The thickness of lime skin varies more than most citrus fruit, so it is difficult to predict how much zest is produced by one lime. If the recipe calls for "zest from one lime" without specifying the variety of lime, use approximately two tsp (10 mL) of zest.
  5. Watermark wikiHow to Zest a Lime 5 Chop the strips of zest finely (optional). If you are using the zest as a decorative garnish, skip this step. If you are using them in a recipe, use a sharp knife to cut the zest into fine pieces.
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Method 3 Method 3 of 3:

Using a Vegetable Peeler or Paring Knife

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  1. Step 1 Use this method only if you don't have other tools. 1 Use this method only if you don't have other tools. When you don’t have a microplane or a zester, then a vegetable peeler or paring knife will get the job done. This process isn’t recommended if you want uniform curls or a very fine zest.
  2. Step 2 Rinse and dry the lime. 2 Rinse and dry the lime. Hold the lime under running water and rub off grime with your fingers. Pat dry with a clean towel.
  3. Step 3 Place the lime on a cutting board and hold it with your non-dominant hand. 3 Place the lime on a cutting board and hold it with your non-dominant hand. Set a clean cutting board on a stable surface. Place the lime on top of the cutting board and hold it firmly in place near the base.
    • If you are right-handed, hold the lime with your left hand. If you are left-handed, hold it with your right hand.
  4. Step 4 Position the vegetable peeler or paring knife. 4 Position the vegetable peeler or paring knife. Hold the peeler or knife against the top of the lime, with the blade facing you. Do not try to point the blade away from you, as zesting this way provides less control and increases the odds of cutting yourself.
  5. Watermark wikiHow to Zest a Lime 5 Methodically peel the zest from the lime. Pull the peeler or knife toward you, pressing lightly into the lime's skin. Ideally, only remove the colored zest portion of the peel, not the white pith underneath. However, press deeper into the pith if it helps keep the knife steady and controlled.
  6. Watermark wikiHow to Zest a Lime 6 Trim the white pith from the zest unless using strips for garnish. Use your paring knife or any sharp, small knife to remove large pieces of white, fleshy pith from the underside of the peeled zest. This is highly recommended if using the zest in recipes, as the pith adds a bitter taste. However, if you are using the zest strips as garnish or in a cocktail, you do not need to remove the pith.
  7. Watermark wikiHow to Zest a Lime 7 Chop the zest into small pieces (optional). Use the same knife to chop the zest into fine pieces. It is now ready to be added to recipes. As for the rest of the lime, wrap it in plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for later use.
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Community Q&A

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  • Question For how long will the zest keep? Community Answer Community Answer It depends on when, where and how you keep it. In the fridge zest will keep for 3-5 days. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 3 Helpful 9
  • Question Does it pair well with cheese? Community Answer Community Answer Lime zest should pair well with Mexican cheeses. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 1 Helpful 1
  • Question Where do limes come from? Community Answer Community Answer Limes grow off on a tree, just like lemons and oranges. They grow anyplace that other citrus trees grow well, but are found primarily in Florida, Mexico, and the West Indies. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 4 Helpful 2
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Video

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Tips

  • If you dislike cleaning your microplane, you can try putting a layer of plastic wrap or wax paper between the microplane and the lime while zesting.[3] This may simply shred the plastic or paper, however, so use only sturdy materials. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
  • If the lime is too soft to zest effectively, put it in the freezer for two minutes to make it firm. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0
  • You can refrigerate limes that have had the zest removed and juice them later. Wrap them in plastic wrap to keep them from drying out. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 1
Show More Tips Submit a Tip All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published Name Please provide your name and last initial Submit Thanks for submitting a tip for review! Advertisement

Things You'll Need

  • Cutting board
  • Small bowl
  • Microplane or
  • Zester or
  • Vegetable peeler or
  • Paring knife

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Expert Interview

Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about cooking, check out our in-depth interview with Chef Jeff Woodward.

References

  1. ↑ Chef Jeff Woodward. Private Chef. Expert Interview
  2. ↑ https://www.thekitchn.com/quick-tip-clean-your-zester-wi-134584
  3. ↑ https://whatscookingamerica.net/lemons.htm

About This Article

Chef Jeff Woodward Co-authored by: Chef Jeff Woodward Private Chef This article was co-authored by Chef Jeff Woodward. Jeff Woodward is a Private Chef and the Owner of The Rogue Chef based in Branson, Missouri. With over 20 years of experience in the restaurant industry, he has cooked for esteemed clients including The Harlem Globetrotters, Peyton Manning, Mark Wahlberg, and Justin Timberlake. Chef Jeff won the Branson Tri-Lakes News Reader's Choice Award 2023 for Best Catering. He has been the Featured Chef Demonstrator for 2 years in a row for The Women's Show in Springfield, MO. The Rogue Chef has been the Hollister Chamber of Commerce Spotlight Chef, an award published in Tri-Lakes News. Chef Jeff's food has been featured on KY3 Television. He publishes a recipe weekly in the Branson Globe newspaper and monthly in Lost on the Lake Magazine. He published a feature article for Chef Talks in Discover Home and Style Magazine. He has an associate’s degree from Southwestern Illinois College and a Culinary Arts degree with a Certification in Baking from Ozark Technical College. This article has been viewed 496,292 times. How helpful is this? Co-authors: 14 Updated: March 10, 2025 Views: 496,292 Categories: Citrus Fruits | Food Cutting Techniques Article SummaryX

To zest a lime, start by washing it with cool water. Then, hold a grater above a cutting board so it's at a 45-degree angle and gently drag the lime across it. Go from the top of the grater to the bottom. Rotate the lime after each stroke before dragging it across the grater again. Once you've grated off all of the green peel, scrape the pile of zest on the cutting board into a bowl and add it to your recipe. If you want to learn how to use a zesting tool for your limes, keep reading! Did this summary help you?YesNo

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Reader Success Stories

  • Kathe Tighe

    Kathe Tighe

    Jul 18, 2017

    "Very helpful. I wasn't quite sure of the exact purpose of zest in a recipe. I didn't realize the zest..." more Rated this article:
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Did this article help you?

Yes No Advertisement If you buy through links on our site, we may earn a commission.Cookies make wikiHow better. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Chef Jeff Woodward Co-authored by: Chef Jeff Woodward Private Chef Click a star to vote Co-authors: 14 Updated: March 10, 2025 Views: 496,292 Kathe Tighe

Kathe Tighe

Jul 18, 2017

"Very helpful. I wasn't quite sure of the exact purpose of zest in a recipe. I didn't realize the zest..." more Rated this article: Timothy Hankish

Timothy Hankish

Apr 20, 2019

"I was trying a new recipe, and the fourth line was to zest lime. I had no idea what that meant. Thanks for the..." more William Yrigoyen

William Yrigoyen

Aug 18, 2016

"Not only was I not aware of what lime zest was, it showed me how to get it in the most efficient way possible." Anonymous

Anonymous

Jun 25, 2016

"This article was helpful because I had no idea what zest was and needed some for a salsa I was making." Susan Harbin

Susan Harbin

Mar 11, 2017

"I don't have a zester, and the instructions on using a veggie peeler were really useful. " Share yours! More success stories Hide success stories

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