Published: February 26, 2017 · Modified June 15, 2025 by Cindy Gibbs

See how easy it is to grate, zest and juice lemons. It takes one minute to zest and juice a lemon and a fresh lemon packs so much flavor.

Juicing lemons.

Please don’t reach for that bottle of dried lemon zest that’s been hiding in the back of your cupboard for two years, or that bottle of concentrated lemon juice in your fridge. Using freshly squeezed lemon juice and fresh lemon zest makes a world of difference in lemon desserts!

Fresh zest and lemon juice can be used in so many ways in the kitchen, and it doesn’t take one minute to zest and juice a lemon.  A bottle of dried lemon zest can’t even compare to the intense flavor in fresh lemon zest. The same goes for lime and orange zest.

The Two Layers of a Lemon Peel

Zest – the outermost layer of the peel or rind.  This is the yellow part of the peel and is packed full of powerful flavor.

Pith – the inner white layer of the peel.  This is the white innermost part of the peel which serves no purpose other than protecting the fruit inside.  The pith is very bitter, thus giving a bitter taste to any food it’s added to.

Tips

  • Wash the lemons.  Scrub the lemons with a soft scrubber or sponge in a tiny bit of hot soapy water, rinse them and dry them off with a towel…even if they’re organic you should wash them. Place them back in the fridge until they get cold again.
  • It’s easier to grate or zest lemons if they are cold. Grate or zest the cold lemons before juicing them. It’s hard to zest a lemon once the juice has been squeezed from it. It’s easier to zest a cold lemon.
  • It’s easier to juice room temp or warm lemons, and they also yield more juice. Once you’ve grated or zested the lemons, allow them to warm up to room temperature before juicing. You can also pop them in the microwave for a few seconds. After juicing the lemons, drain the juice through a strainer to remove any seeds and pieces of pulp.

Grating

Grating lemons.

In the picture above, I was grating the lemon peel to use in making some Limoncello.  I used a little grater gadget to peel small strips of the peel.  You can use a tool such as the one above or a regular potato peeler.  Notice how I grated the zest only, leaving the white pith behind.

Zesting

Zesting lemons.

In the picture above I used a microplane to zest lemons, for my Lemon Cake Roll.  If you use a microplane, you will rub the lemon across the tiny blades of the microplane in one direction only.

Juicing

Now of course if I’m going to zest some lemons for a recipe, I’m most definitely going to be including some lemon juice as well.  After I zest or grate a lemon, I juice it by using this handy little juicer gadget that you can find in the gadget aisle of your local grocery store for about $3.00.  This catches all of the seeds so you don’t miss any of them.  When I juice a lemon through my fingers, I tend to always let one of those slippery little seeds get past me. It’s also a good idea to strain the juice to make sure there are no missed seeds or pieces of pulp.

Bonus! How to candy lemons

I’ve updated this post to include how to candy lemons. It’s so easy, and you can use candied lemons to decorate cakes, place on the rim of a cold drink glass, so many options. I used the lemons below to decorate the sides of my Lemon Layer Cake.

  1. Make an ice bath and set it aside.
  2. Slice 1 large lemon into very thin slices.  Discard the seeds and rind ends.  I used a mandoline, but you can use a sharp knife.
  3. Bring a medium pan of water to a bubbling boil. Remove the pan from the heat, add the lemon slices and stir until they become softened, about 1 minute.  Drain, and immediately plunge the slices into the ice-water bath, then drain.
  4. Add 1 cup each of sugar and water to a large shallow skillet.  Bring to a boil, swirling the skillet to dissolve the sugar.  Once sugar is dissolved, reduce the heat to medium-low and add the lemon slices in one single layer.  Simmer (do not boil), for approximately 1 hour until the rinds are translucent.
  5. Gently remove the slices with tongs and transfer them to a parchment-lined cookie sheet.  Allow them to sit until they are no longer sticky, at least 1 hour.  They will still be a little tacky.  Use them or cover them for up to one day.

Check out this great post from Southern Living on how to freeze and store lemons!

Below are some of my favorite lemon desserts where I use lemon juice and zest. You can search “lemon” to see all of my lemon recipes. I have more than a few. Can you tell I love lemon desserts? I hope you are now inspired to go in the kitchen and make something lemony! 🙂

Lemon Custard Ice Cream

Moist & Tangy Lemon Loaf Cake

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

Lemon Angel Pie

Lemon Blueberry Layer Cake

Lemon Cake Custard

Lemon Ice Box Dessert

Mini Lemon Curd Pavlovas

Blueberry Lemon Bread with Lemon Glaze

Lemon Cake Roll

Ultimate Lemon Cheesecake

Sweet Blueberry Biscuits with Lemon Glaze

Classic Lemon Meringue Pie

Happy baking!! 🙂