How do you get zest without a zester?
Use a box grater
If you don't have a citrus zester on hand, you can still get the lemon flavor you need. Just break out your box grater. Use the fine holes or the sharp grater teeth to gently shave the zest from the lemon.
You can also use a vegetable peeler or paring knife to zest oranges. A peeler or knife will produce long, thin strips of the outer peel, which you can then mince to a fine consistency.
The holes are slightly larger on a grater than they are on a Microplane, but a grater will work fine for zesting. Just make sure you don't use a grater with large holes, like one you'd use for grating cheddar cheese: You'll risk getting some of the bitter pith mixed in with your zest.
The cheese grater (or box grater) is another perfect kitchen tool for zesting lemons. Hold the box grater over a bowl with one hand, using the “fine” side (or the side with the tiny grates). Hold the lemon in your other hand. Push the lemon away from you along the box grater to remove the zest.
Another option is to zest your lemon or citrus with a knife. While a chef's knife would do and a paring knife is slightly better, a serrated knife is the most preferable option as it will help to agitate the citrus skin and release the oil.
Lemon zest is the yellow outside portion of its peel. It's often used with or without lemon juice to add tangy flavor to recipes. The zest can taste even stronger than the juice; it's often used in lemon-flavored baked or cooked recipes like lemon poppy seed pancakes.
A Microplane is a long and thin grater with small teeth perfect for zesting lemons and limes. For most recipes, this is the best tool because it creates fine pieces of zest that don't contain any pith.
If lime zest isn't available, you can use lime juice, lemon zest, lemon juice, or even orange zest instead. Be mindful about the type of recipe you're cooking before making a substitution.
To zest a lemon, you can use a Microplane, citrus zester, vegetable peeler, box grater, or a knife. While a Microplane yields the finest zest, a vegetable peeler or knife provides larger ribbons. The key to zesting a lemon is to avoid the pith — the bitter, white part of the peel underneath.
Vegetable (Potato) Peeler
A vegetable, or potato, peeler is another quick way to zest a lemon if you don't have a zester or microplane handy. While this method is a little more technique sensitive, you will still be able to get a good bit of lemon zest if you're in a pinch.
Can you zest with a knife?
Zesting with a Knife. You do not need a grater (like a microplane) to zest a lemon. In fact, while zesting with a microplane is the easiest way to zest, if you want the strongest and most even lemon flavor in your food, zesting with a knife is the best way to do it.
Can You Use Lemon Juice in Place of Lemon Zest? Yes! Use 2 tablespoons of lemon juice for every teaspoon of lemon zest called for.
Side 2: Finely grate
For a light dusting of cheese, use the side that looks like it's covered in round little stars. You can also use it to grate nutmeg and cinnamon and to zest citrus fruits. Just be careful—this side isn't exactly finger-friendly.
Most box graters are four-sided, and in addition to a coarse grating blade, they also have a zester blade, a fine-grating blade, and a slicing blade that mimics a mandoline.
Zesters are exclusively used for citrus fruits to get long, thin strips of zest. They're small with just a few round holes that you scrape along the fruit. A grater, on the other hand, is multipurpose. You can zest citrus with a grater, but you can't necessarily shred veggies with a zester.
Using a 5" Petite Santoku (or Chef's Knife) cut the peel into thin julienne strips, as thin as you can make them. Turn the strips perpendicular and cut them into smaller pieces (a fine mince). Then, using a rocking motion with the knife, keep cutting the lemon peel into a zest.
The cheese grater (or box grater) is another perfect kitchen tool for zesting lemons. Hold the box grater over a bowl with one hand, using the “fine” side (or the side with the tiny grates). Hold the lemon in your other hand. Push the lemon away from you along the box grater to remove the zest.
Microplane. A Microplane is a long and thin grater with small teeth perfect for zesting lemons and limes. For most recipes, this is the best tool because it creates fine pieces of zest that don't contain any pith.
You can omit lemon zest. This small and mighty flavor-packed peel won't ruin your recipe without it (unless of course, you're making Lemon Poppyseed Pancakes).