Martha Stewart’s hack for zesting citrus fast and efficiently is shockingly simple. All you need is a Microplane grater.

If you’re the type who sees “zest of 1 large lemon” in an ingredients list and thinks, “eh, I can probably skip that”, listen ...

Paddle graters can make any grating, shredding or zesting task easy, allowing you to turn a bland dish into something really ...

This technique can sometimes lead to inconsistency, missed spots or even zesting too deep into the bitter white pith. Related: 60 Lemon Chicken Recipes To Add Some Zest to Your Weekly Meals ...

Zesting Citrus the Wrong Way I used to zest citrus by holding the Microplane teeth side up and holding the fruit over the top rubbing it back and forth. I wasn't rotating the fruit as I zested it.

Once you start zesting, rotate the fruit, depending on how much zest you need. Avoid going too deep as the white part—the pith—is quite bitter and may impact the flavor of your recipe.