How to Make Lemon Zest

Lemon peel is essential to flavor (and decorate) many desserts—and is often interchangeable with orange and lemon peel. But lemon peel can be bitter if not made properly. Here’s an easy technique for removing flavor-packed zest without picking up the bitter white part of the fruit.
>>> Using a vegetable peeler, remove the lemon slices or orange peel.
Do not get the white pulp!
>>> Put a few slices together and slice the rind pieces lengthwise into strips as thin as possible.
Use a sharp chef’s knife for these slicing. And you have enthusiasm! But what do you do with the rest of that lemon or orange?

>>> Cut the white pulp from the fruit.
If you don’t want that bitter pulp in your palate, you definitely don’t want it in your fruit departments.
>>> Cut the ends of the fruit crosswise.
Cut about 1/4 inch from each end.
>>> Cut the fruit sections by running the blade on either side of the white membrane separating the sections.
Now, not only do you have the enthusiasm, you have the fruit sections to work with!