ChefSteps is a team of chefs, writers, and food lovers who develop recipes, techniques, and guides to help people cook better at home.

ChefSteps

This technique produces vibrant, authentic-tasting lemon peel that can be used in both sweet and savory preparations. Producers who create the highest-quality lemon oil carefully carve the flesh out of the fruit and preserve the albedo (pith) and rind without allowing them to come into contact with the fruit’s acidic juice. That’s because acid in the fruit juice rapidly degrades the peel and leads to a lower-quality oil with diluted flavor. With that in mind, we meticulously remove all the juicy pulp from the lemon, then cure it in salt and sugar, conserving the peel’s natural oils and yielding a soft, smooth texture. This simple recipe works for any citrus (try grapefruit!) and is extremely versatile. We love it on proteins like fish and chicken, but we’ve also paired it with nuts, sorbets, and even cookie dough. Make a big batch and use your imagination!