Can You Swap Fresh Citrus Zest For Dried Peels?

Fresh, fluffy shards of lemon zest add essential sweet and sour zing to both sugary and savory recipes, like crumbly lemon shortbread cookies, bright bowls of cheesy pasta, honey vinaigrette salad dressings, and even homemade lemon pepper seasoning. While it's common to come across preparation mistakes when cooking and baking with lemons, zesting a lemon is easy. Simply running a fresh lemon along a microplane zester will give you a tangy topping for cakes or veggies. However, if you're lacking in fresh citrus, you can replace the ingredient with dried citrus peels.

Dried lemon peel can be purchased in spice shakers and stored in your pantry for when the need arises. Lemon zest and dried lemon peel can be used interchangeably in many cases, however it is much more pungent in its dried form and should be used sparingly. The same can be said for other basic citruses like orange and lime.

Substituting your citrus

Because of its strong flavor, it's safe to start slow when using dried lemon peel in place of fresh zest. Start by sprinkling in about a third of the required amount. To ensure you're stocked up on citrus, you can also work ahead and make your own stash of dried citrus peel at home. It's often a cheaper and more efficient option, and the only materials necessary are the fruit (try lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit or tangerines) and an oven. Homemade dried citrus peel can last for nearly a year when safely stored in an airtight jar.

Other easy citrus zest swaps are citrus extract, juice, or the zest of another citrus (if life gives you lemons when the recipe calls for lime zest, make lemon zest). Nothing is as good as the real thing, however, so for the best zesty dinners and drinks, keep fresh fruit on hand.

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